A study done for Getjar, the world's second biggest app store, said the market will grow to $17.5bn (£12bn) in the next two years.
The study claimed downloads would climb from 7bn last year to 50bn by 2012 - a 92% year-on-year increase.
It found there had been a gold rush with the number of app stores rising from four before 2008 to 48 today.
The study also suggests Apple's domination of the market could be challenged.
"We wanted to find out the real value of the industry because we felt certain segments like the iPhone were being over-hyped and so-called feature phones were being under-hyped," said Getjar founder and chief executive officer Ilja Laurs.
Feature phones are less powerful than smart phones but can still run some third-party software. Smart rush
While Apple's App Store is regarded as the dominant player, there are many more to choose from including those from BlackBerry, Microsoft, Google, Nokia, and Samsung.
Google's Android Marketplace, for instance, has more than 30,000 apps made for smartphones running on its mobile operating system.
Mr Laurs said the figures attributed to the iPhone's value have been unbelievable in some cases.
"The value of the iPhone App store ranges from as low as $700m (£466m) to $2.5bn (£1.66bn). You can see the range is huge," he said.
Mr Laurs said the research found that feature phones should not be ignored in the rush to create apps for smartphones.
"It is almost as if these phones don't exist. We know smartphones are an extremely important phenomenon, but in terms of consumer mindshare and revenue share, feature phones represent 90% of the global market compared to 10% for smartphones and data cards."
Industry shake-out
Researcher Chetan Sharma of Chetan Sharma Consulting said that the charging model which dominates the app ecosystem is changing.
"Advertising and the sale of virtual goods has helped expand choices for developers and we will see all of that ramp up in the next couple of years," he told the BBC.
But most commentators think Apple's paid model will survive for the foreseeable future. "I wouldn't say it is going to die, but the industry is going to evolve in alternative directions ," said Getjar's Mr Laurs.
Apple's iPad, for example, is expected to boost the app market according to statistics from analytics firm Flurry.
It reported that developer activity for the iPhone has risen 185% in advance of the iPad's April arrival. Applications for the iPhone can be ported over to the new device.
"We have definitely seen a shift back to the iPhone with the anticipation of the iPad and a little bit of the disappointment with the Nexus 1 (Google phone)," Simon Khalaf, chief executive of Flurry Analystics told business site MarketWatch.com.
"Definitely there has been a rush of applications. It will invite a new wave of developers and it is a very cool device so people are going to develop for it."
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Windows Mobile Mini
So Windows Mobile team have these funny little mini's all Microsofted up and pimped out. And I got to get a picture of this one! It was at the Microsoft Campus in Reading today. The question now is whether Jason is going to hold up to his end of the bargain since it has been spotted!
So Jason... does this count for spotting the car?!
So Jason... does this count for spotting the car?!
Nokia 2600 Lcd Connector Ways
Cell Rater Cell Rater
MobileSpoon
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