There’s an app for that

We have quickly learnt that there’s an app for almost anything one can think of, in fact we know it so well that in 2011 there were 31 billion app downloads to mobile devices. That’s at least four app downloads for every person in the world, if we want to look at it that way.

So what’s that in dollar figures? Well, according to data from Strategy Analytics’ Global Mobile Media Forecast, $26.1 billion is expected to be spent on the sale of apps by the end of the year and by 2016 that figure is predicted to double to $52 billion. That’s a lot of Angry Birds.

Last year saw games dominating the app market, accounting for nearly half of all downloads. Followed by social networking apps with 30 per cent, entertainment with seven per cent and news apps making up six per cent of all downloads

Overall, mobile spending is on the rise with mobile application revenue only making up 19 per cent of the whopping $138.2 billion expected globally for 2012. This will see mobile spending jump by almost 15 per cent in a single year.

Mobile viewing is too on the rise with 280 billion views expected world-wide but with so many free options the revenue will only bring in $3.6 billion.

Advertisers are latching on to these trends and will spend double on mobile advertising space compared to last year and again apps seem the way to go, Strategy Analytics says that revenue from mobile web display ads will be $934.5 million, but says in-app advertising brings in almost double raking in $1.7 billion.