The number of mobile apps downloaded in 2011 was 31 billion. That number will more than double to 66 billion by 2016, if the latest projections from Juniper Research prove accurate.
On Thursday, the freshly published projection from Juniper Research found that consumer app downloads to mobile devices are expected to climb dramatically within the next four years.
The report found that 87% of apps will be downloaded free of charge throughout the forecast period, but publisher revenues will increasingly be derived from post download opportunities such as content subscriptions and virtual item sales.
Growth will continue to be driven primarily by smartphones, although by 2016 nearly one in four downloads will occur on a tablet.
“Consumers are now demanding 24/7 access to services – retail, financial, information, entertainment – wherever they are,” writes report author Dr. Windsor Holden. “As a result, brands that wish to remain competitive have turned to apps as part of a integrated multichannel distribution system: they have become a critical mechanism to increase engagement and reduce churn.”
