Posts Tagged ‘apple iphone’
App of the Week: midem
posted by Terri Kim
midem is just one day away! For those of you who don’t know, midem is an annual event held in the city of Cannes, France where “artists, technology and brands are connected by music.” Last year, 6,850 participants from 3,120 companies spanning 77 countries attended midem.
If you’re attending midem this year, don’t forget to download the official midem app powered by Mobile Roadie. Available for iPhone, Android, and even iPad, the official midem app allows you to “consult the conference & festival schedule, discover speakers & artists line up, access a practical guide to Cannes, and view official photos & videos.” App users can also “read the latest industry news and see what companies & partners are at midem.” It’s the only thing you need to get around smoothly during the 4-day event.
To download the official midem app, visit http://road.ie/MIDEM
And don’t forget to RSVP for the Music Tech Meetup that we’re co-hosting with SoundCloud, Spotify, Topspin, Webdoc, MXP4, Musixmatch, Next Big Sound, The Orchard, and midem.
App of the Week: sbe
posted by Terri Kim
Ready for a night out on the town but don’t know what to do? With the official sbe app powered by Mobile Roadie, you don’t have to look further to find the hottest restaurant, hotel, and nightlife brands in North America. The sbe app gives you a comprehensive overview of each of their fine establishments, so you can pick and choose the places that reflect your personality.
And if you’re planning a vacay to one of the hottest entertainment cities in the country, the sbe app is the perfect companion. With their multiple establishments in LA, Las Vegas, NYC, and Miami, sbe has something for everyone. And with multiple features on the app, including photos, videos, music, news, and the ability to shop for sbe packages and gift cards, you’ll be fully prepared to have fun.
Download the official sbe mobile app at http://road.ie/sbe
2011: Top 10 Facts about the US Smartphone Market
posted by Terri Kim2011 was a dynamic year of growth for mobile. The following 10 facts summarize the highlights of the US smartphone industry in 2011:
1. By the end of November, there were over 234 million Americans (age 13 and older) who used mobile devices.
2. Over 91.4 million people owned smartphones in the US compared to the 63.2 million in 2010, an increase of over 44% (study by comScore).
3. Smartphone penetration in the US was close to 44%, up from 25% in 2010.
4. Over 62% of 25-34 year olds who owned mobile phones owned smartphones in 2011, up from 41% in 2010. Following behind, 54% of 18-24 year olds owned smartphones in 2011 (study by Nielsen).
5. Google Android was the most popular OS claiming 46% market share, followed by Apple iOS with 28%.
6. The Apple iPhone was the most sought-after smartphone device based on the fact that the only phones that are powered by iOS are iPhones. In the third quarter of 2011, the top 3 best-selling phones in the US were the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and HTC EVO 4G, according to The NPD Group.
7. Close to 7% of all US Web traffic was from smartphones and tablets, with smartphones accounting for about 2/3 of this figure (study by comScore). iOS devices accounted for around 58% of non-computer online traffic while Android accounted for 32%.
8. In 2011, the most popular activity amongst smartphone users was texting or messaging (70%), followed by emailing (60%), social networking (50%), talking on the phone (43%), and then surfing the Web (40%) (study by CloudTalk).
9. 38% of mobile subscribers downloaded apps. Among the smartphone users who downloaded apps, 83% had either an Android or iPhone device.
10. In December 2011, an average of 1.5 million smartphones were downloaded each day. On December 25th, however, it was estimated that more than 6.8 million iOS & Android devices were activated (study from Flurry).
The smartphone industry flourished in 2011, and will continue to experience growth in the new year; it is predicted that smartphones will outsell PCs in 2012 (according to multiple industry sources). So here’s to another great year in mobile!
App of the Week: San Diego Zoo
posted by Terri Kim
Pandas, and polar bears, and animals galore, oh my!
If we could only use one word to describe this week’s App of the Week, it would have to be “AMAZING”. The official San Diego Zoo mobile app launched last week, and the response has been nothing short of amazing- press coverage from dozens and dozens of sources across the world, including VentureBeat, New York Daily News, The Guardian, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), and San Diego Reader, and App Store and Android Market ratings of 4 stars.
Fans can’t get enough of all the features this app has to offer, but one section of the app that they keep going back to is the Animal Cam, where fans can view live streams of the famous giant pandas and polar bears who live and play at the Zoo. The Panda LiveCam has been played close to 10,000 times, while the Polar Bear LiveCam has been played nearly 8,000 times, which brings the total of LiveCam plays to nearly 20,000- and this is just in a week!
And just in time for the holidays, San Diego Zoo is highlighting their Jungle Bells celebration right on their app’s homepage. By clicking the home screen image, fans will be redirected to the Jungle Bells section of the app where they can learn about this holiday celebration and see the events going on.
To download the San Diego Zoo app, go to http://road.ie/sandiegozoo
2011: A Look Back at the Leading Mobile App Stores
posted by Terri KimIt’s been an exciting year for mobile with milestones and developments aplenty, and as the year comes to an end, we’d like to reflect back on some of the highlights of the mobile industry. First, let’s take a closer look at the two leading app marketplaces- the Apple App Store and Android Market.
Today, there are more than 1 million apps in the major app stores, according to Mobilewalla, with Apple App Store and Android Market accounting for around 91%. The App Store leads with over 590,000 apps, followed closely behind by Android Market with over 380,000 apps. Apps in Amazon Appstore, Blackberry App World, Nokia Ovi Store, and Windows Phone Marketplace account for the remaining 9% of apps.
Image courtesy of Apple
Apple App Store
The popularity of apps has grown tremendously in a short period of time. It was only three years ago in July 2008 that Apple released their App Store, the first of its kind, with 500 apps and 0 downloads. In one year, the App Store grew over 10,000% to have over 55,000 apps and over 1 billion downloads. And in two years, the App Store grew to have over 225,000 apps and over 5 billion downloads. In July 2011, the App Store had over 425,000 apps and over 15 billion downloads worldwide. According to Mobilewalla, an average of 745 apps are released daily.
Currently, there are over 590,000 apps which have been downloaded over 18 billion times in the App Store- an increase of 162% and 260% in App Store size and downloads, respectively, in a little over a year.
Image courtesy of Google
Android Market
Android Market, on the other hand, was released by Google in October 2008. In March 2009, Android Market had around 2,300 apps available. A little over a year later in August 2010, there were over 80,000 apps available and 1 billion downloads. In July 2011, the Android Market grew to 250,000 apps and over 6 billion downloads. 543 apps on average are released daily, according to Mobilewalla.
Currently, there are over 380,000 apps and over 10 billion downloads in the Android Market- an increase of 375% and 900% in Android Market size and downloads, respectively, in a little over a year.
Free Apps
While the App Store leads in the number of apps and downloads, Android Market is a leader in free apps. Out of the hundreds of thousands of apps in the Android Market, over 67% are free compared to the 37% of apps in the App Store. In fact, Windows Phone Marketplace follows behind the Android Market with 52%.
Revenue
A recent study conducted by Distimo, an app store analytics firm, found that iPhone apps in the App Store generate 4 times as much revenue as apps in the Android Market do. They found this figure by examining the top 200 grossing apps of 2011. Distimo also found that half of the revenue from the top 200 grossing apps in the App Store came from apps that follow the “freemium” business model- free apps that collect revenue by offering exclusive or advanced content- compared to the 65% of revenue that “freemium” apps in the Android Market produced.
Another study from Piper Jaffray, a leading middle-market investment bank, concluded that the App Store controls around 85 to 90% of total app revenue market share, producing around $3.4 billion in revenue for developers compared to the $240 million in revenue in the Android Market.
While results may vary, what is known is that the mobile app industry is lucrative.
What’s Next for Mobile Apps
It’s truly amazing to see how fast apps have grown in these few years- from zero apps to over one million, from no app stores to dozens, and from zero app downloads to over tens of billions, the popularity and profitability of mobile apps is undeniable. We’re looking forward to what lies ahead for the mobile industry in 2012.
App of the Week: David Guetta
posted by Terri Kim
Master music producer and DJ extraordinaire David Guetta released his highly anticipated album Nothing But the Beat this week, and let’s just say it’s taking over the charts. With tracks like “Little Bad Girl” feat. Ludacris & Taio Cruz, “I Can Only Imagine” with Chris Brown & Lil Wayne, and “Where Them Girls At” feat. Flo Rida & Nicki Minaj, this album delivers a powerful punch of the hottest tracks to keep you dancing all night long.
And with the concurrent release of the official David Guetta mobile app, you can listen to tracks from Nothing But the Beat as well as his previous albums anytime, anywhere. Not only can you listen to music with this app, but you can also watch videos, check his show schedule, and interact with other Guetta fans and show your support for this legendary music man on the Fan Wall, among other features.
It’s a must-have app for David Guetta fans and house music lovers alike. To download the app for free, visit Mobile Roadie at http://road.ie/davidguetta.
So Just How Big Will Your iPhone Market Be?
posted by Michael ArcandYesturday a report was released by Admob, a company (now owned by Google) that analyzes data from ads served on mobile networks to glean insight into the mobile web usage of the 21st century. So what did this report have to say today about the Apple iPhone? Despite the fact that the company is owned by Google, who has its own stake in the mobile Internet through the Android OS, they didn’t hide the fact that the iPhone uses up a whopping 50% of all mobile data traffic as of October 2009. In case you didn’t get the big picture, let me put this in non-techie terms … one out of ever two mobile data transmissions (i.e., e-mail, IM, text messaging, website visits, etc.) take place on the Apple iPhone.
Despite the fact that the iPhone doesn’t dominate in sales numbers, this report would seem to indicate that the iPhone users are accessing the web and data services more frequently than other smart phone users. So what does this mean to you? It means that now is the time to get your web-based app into the iPhone App Store. Think about it … half of all mobile data travels through the iPhone. If your app uses data interactively, directs traffic to or syndicates information from your website, chances are 50/50 right now that your customer will be looking for you on the iPhone. And the percentage is growing. Soon, if your app isn’t available on the iPhone, it will be like trying to promote your band, business or product in a flea market.
So why not take a tour of MobileRoadie and see how we can help you get your hat in the ring so your business can get a piece of the iPhone data pie!
Amazon Kindle’s Newest Challenger: The iPhone?
posted by Michael Arcand
It’s hard to fathom all the different applications that an iPhone user has access to these days. Everything from useful time management apps to the senseless Pepsi app that recently got so much media attention (which was also subsequently pulled). So what would you guess is the highest category of iPhone apps on the market today? Believe it or not, its e-books. Yes, that’s right … e-books are more prolific in the app store than games. I know it’s hard to believe, but let’s take a look at the numbers and where they are headed.
Games led in the app store supply chain from August 2008 through August 2009, according to a report published by Flurry, an analytics company. Interestingly enough, however, in September 2009 a new category eclipsed games, fueled in its expansion by rising consumer demand. The category was e-books. In fact, Flurry noted that 1% of the U.S. population is already reading an e-book on the iPhone. They go on to predict that just like Nintendo DS sales were impacted by the iPhone, the same impact will be felt by Amazon’s Kindle sales. Only time will tell if they are right about that.
One thing we can be sure of is that the e-book is here to stay and its making a big impact on the iPhone platform. With millions of dollars flowing through the Apple app store, authors of any genre and status have a chance to sell their product and get their name out there. It’s just another example of how technology is literally leveling the playing field and allowing the entry level writer to compete against multi-book authors – in the same marketplace.
So what’s the bottom line? If you are an author, you need to leverage the iPhone popularity and platform to get your book out there in the marketplace. And MobileRoadie is here to help you do just that. It doesn’t matter how well known you are or how big your book is, we can help you get it packaged for the app store so you can ride the iPhone e-book wave. So what are you waiting for?
Apple Announces In App Purchase for Free Apps
posted by Michael Arcand
That’s right folks, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Apple announced today that they are now allowing free apps to use in app purchases. So what does this really mean? Only that one of the best concepts ever derived in marketing is now available to developers who are putting out free apps. What is that, you ask? It’s the upsell. Simply put, you can now give away your iPhone application with minimal functionality. You let the user know that there is much to be had in advanced functionality … IF they purchase the full version of the app. This has long been a standby for marketing of all types of products and services and it works very well. It’s just like the hook … they get to experience what you have to offer and see the big picture. Once they test drive your app (if you have a decent product or service), they’ll be hooked.
The reason this works so well is that unlike an initial app purchase, when a customer does an in app purchase the majority of the process takes place on the devs server, leaving you, as the developer, the electronic receipt. Interestingly enough, as suggested by MobileCrunch, this could actually have an effect in reducing app piracy, somewhat. While your app can be cracked and distributed far and wide, it’s difficult at best to forge an electronic receipt. However, the only way to verify each use of the app would be to check the electronic receipt against the copy on the dev’s server.
At MobileRoadie we look forward to offering this to our growing line of apps in the future. Be sure to stay tuned to our blog for updates and contact us with any questions.
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