Comments on: How many applications does the average iPhone owner install?

By: Matt Radford

Matt Radford — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:06:16 +0000

@Steve

The average is arrived at by taking total downloads vs phones sold, a quite simple metric. On that basis, I would imagine that the download numbers for, say, S60 apps will be much smaller than for iPhone apps but the the number of S60 phones sold is far, far higher. So I stand by my original figure of zero as the likely mean.

However, I do need to alter my original figure of 15 apps (which I’ve updated above). I forgot that the 200m App Store downloads also include iPod Touch apps. Apple sold 11m iPods in the last quarter, but they don’t publicly disaggregate iPod sales into Touch/non-Touch.

Warning – rough guesses ahead:

Assume 45m iPod sales a year, of which 20% are iPod Touches. That’s 9m per year. So add on 13m iPod Touches sold. 26m devices / 200m downloads = 7.69 apps per person.

That’s half of what I originally thought, but still an awful lot more than zero.

@chrsfrwll

I mentioned cracked apps as it’s clear that the App Store has done something that other platforms have not done, and that is stemmed the haemorraging of developers’ sales. Cracked S60 apps are available for download everywhere, and severely affect legal sales. Some cracked App Store apps are available, but the hoops that you have to jump through to get them working make it not worth the time of the average user.

By: chrsfrwll

chrsfrwll — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:24:09 +0000

An interesting subject and certainly part reason why I switched from N95 to iPhone. The range and diversity of available apps, together with the simplicity of purchase (there are times I think too simple, as my iTunes bill racks up ) makes for an altogether more pleasing user experience. On the N95 I was forever trawling the 3rd party online shops as well as periodically reviewing Nokia’s catalogues (had to be periodically, as the experience was so dreadful). Apple’s simple touch to view, followed by its easy purchase mechanisms, ensures the captive audience is captivated by the experience. As well as a pricing tier that seems so cheap compared with other platforms. How many apps have been purchased simply because the price is less than a pint of beer (or free). I know I’ve done loads of such impulse buying.

However, I’m not sure I follow your concluding paragraph, where you suddenly talk about cracked apps for the first time. Is this something that you were going to talk about elsewhere?

By: Steve Litchfield

Steve Litchfield — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:01:58 +0000

I take your point, but the ‘Zero’ for other platforms is being a little strong. Nokia’s on-board ‘Download!’ system is usually played with, even by newbies. Although there’s not a huge amount in there, even beginners install something, even if only a game or weather utility. Zero? For Nokia/S60, I’d say the average is probably 2 or 3. Even allowing for geeks like myself installing 50 apps on every device I own!!

For Windows Mobile phones, the average is much higher, perhaps 5 or 6 – anyone who knowingly buys something with WinMob is going to have a few apps in mind from the start.