Posts Tagged ‘Apple’
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: A Look Back at the Rise of Tablet Devices
posted by Terri KimIn 2011, there were tablets that flunked- HP TouchPad, RIM Blackberry Playbook, and the Motorola Xoom (just to name a few); there were tablets that beat the odds and flourished- Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook; and there were those that remained leaders, most notably the Apple iPad followed by the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimated that Apple continued to lead the way in the tablet race with 64% tablet market share, followed by Android who captured around 35% market share in 2011, on average. Compare these figures to the previous year when Apple captured around 85% of the market.
And while Android tablet devices, most notably the recently released Kindle Fire, continue to gain in popularity this year, iPads continue to dominate tablet web traffic. According to comScore, 97.2% of all tablet traffic in the US came from iPads in 2011, a number slightly higher than the amount of Internet traffic from iPhones.
So what were users doing on their tablets in 2011? According to AdMob (Google), tablets were used primarily for 1) Playing games; 2) Searching for info on the Web; and 3) Emailing. Other activities included shopping, reading e-books, and consuming entertainment. The study also found that 43% of tablet users spend more time on their tablets than on their desktops/laptops.
It’s an understatement to say that tablets are growing in popularity. In 2010, there were 17.4 million tablet shipments. The following year, the number of tablet shipments more than quadrupled with 72 million tablets shipped worldwide. In 2012, it is estimated that tablet shipments will grow to 95 million units, surpassing netbook sales; and in 2015- 262.1 million units, a 1,442% increase in 5 years.
With the tablet market predicted to surpass $2 billion in worth by the end of 2012, the competition for a piece of the tablet market will be more intense than ever before.
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.
What’s the Mobile App Market Worth?
posted by Terri Kim
By 2015, International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that 182.7 billion mobile apps will be downloaded, close to a 1600% increase from the 10.7 billion apps downloaded in 2010. This impressive figure can be attributed to increases in smartphones and apps- both free and paid- that will continue to occur in the mobile market.
The top two app stores on the market today- Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market- account for 19.5 billion apps downloaded so far.
Apple’s App Store
Figure 1: Courtesy of Apple, Inc
In the App Store, which currently has over 425,000 different apps for download, 15 billion apps have been downloaded, up 50% from 10 billion in January 2011 and up 400% from 3 billion in January 2010. Reports indicate that the average iOS device owner will buy 61% more apps in 2011 than a year ago, totaling 83 app downloads this year, and be willing to pay 14% more for paid apps than a year ago. 82% of mobile apps for download are free.
Google’s Android Market
Figure 2: Courtesy of Google, Inc
In the Android Market, which is home to over 200,000 apps, 5 billion apps have been downloaded since launching in 2008, up 50% from 3 billion in May 2011 and up 350% from 1 billion downloads in August 2010. In just under two months from May to July 2011, over a billion apps for Android were downloaded.
Time Spent on Mobile Apps
And with all these downloads, it makes sense that smartphone users are spending more time using mobile apps than surfing the Web, according to a recent study by Flurry. Time spent on mobile apps per user jumped 88% to 81 minutes from June 2010 to June 2011, while time spent web browsing only increased 16%.
Figure 3: Courtesy of Flurry
In Conclusion
The mobile app market is expected to be worth $14.1 billion next year and jump 160% to $36.7 billion in revenue from direct sales, in-app purchases and mobile app advertising in 2015. However, these estimates may be understated given the tremendous growth of the mobile app industry in recent years.
Smartphones in the US and Beyond
posted by Terri Kim
Whether it’s checking your email, logging in to your favorite social site or downloading a new app, it’s safe to say that those who own smartphones like having access to the Internet in the palm of their hands. So it’s no surprise that smartphones are becoming more prevalent in U.S. households. A recent study from Pew Internet Project revealed that out of the 83% of US adults who own cell phones, 42% own smartphones, roughly 77 million people. To put this into perspective, 35% of all US adults own a smartphone, and this figure isn’t expected to decrease anytime soon. So while the US may be a smartphone hotspot, how does the smartphone market look in other parts of the world? Let’s take a look.
Asia
Asia is the largest mobile market in the world, and with that the land of endless opportunity for those in the mobile industry. With highly advanced tech countries like Japan and South Korea who were developing smartphones before they were popular in the U.S., and with the sheer amount of people in countries such as China and India, Asia is a mobile market wonderland. In China alone, out of the 900 million cellphone users, 20% own or plan to buy smartphones. Recognizing China’s large presence in the mobile market, we are excited to launch in China at the end of August.
But China isn’t Mobile Roadie’s first foray into Asia; we first made our mark in Asia by way of Japan. In addition to creating apps for some of Japan’s popular celebrities and musicians, we also developed an app for food leader Matsuya Foods Group (松屋フーズ). Below are screenshots of MoRo apps for popular Japanese girl groups Idoling!!! and Shibuhara
Europe
Europe’s smartphone market is growing rapidly, with the U.K, France and Italy leading the way. According to comScore, the smartphone market in Europe grew 41% in the past year. In 2010, the smartphone market in the U.K. experienced 70% growth to over 11 million subscribers, France experienced a 48% increase in smartphone adoption, while Italy had the largest number of smartphone users totaling over 15 million. Spain and Germany, in addition to these three European countries, total over 60 million smartphone users.
With MoRo representatives in Paris, Barcelona, and Milan, and an office in London’s “Silicon Roundabout”, we have already established our presence in Europe, and continue our position as the world’s leading app platform.
What this means
The International Data Corporation predicts that 472 million smartphones will be shipped worldwide in 2011 compared to the 305 million phones that were shipped in 2011, representing a 54% increase in one year. By 2015, it is predicted that over 982 million smartphones will be shipped all over the world- that’s close to one billion people who will be able to use phones to surf the Web, stream music and videos, download apps, and a host of other capabilities.
Apple Announces the iPad 2
posted by Michael Arcand
Today marks another big day for Apple as they held a press event to announce the new iPad 2 device. The internet was rampant with speculation leading up to the event, but for the most part, the rumors hit the nail right on the head.
While it wasn’t clear beforehand if Steve Jobs would be able to attend, Jobs not only made an appearance, but made most of the big announcements concerning the iPad 2. Dramatic changes have been made to the design and specifications of the iPad 2. Here are some of the major changes taking place:
Hardware:
* The processors have been replaced: an A5 dual-core CPU running at 1GHz, and an improved GPU running at 9x the previous speed.
*Front and rear-facing cameras are on board now. Front camera will have VGA resolution while the back camera will have 720p HD video support.
*A gyroscope has been added to the new iPad model, resulting in better motion sensing for the device.
*Battery time, despite the changes, remains the same according to Jobs.
*The new iPad is 33% thinner than the old one, making it thinner than the iPhone 4!
*HDMI cable will allow mirrored video output at full 1080p HD with no setup or hassle.
*New “smart cover” turns the iPad on and off when you open it and is adjustable for any viewing position. It will be available in a variety of translucent colors and leather.
*US version with 3G will be available for both AT&T and Verizon networks.
iOS 4.3 Features:
*AirPlay will now allow you to share slideshows with the transitions intact.
*Apps from the App Store will be able to AirPlay audio with video.
*Photo Booth is being added for the iPad.
*Personal hotspots will be available for iPhone 4 users to share their 3G connection over Wi-Fi to other devices such as a laptop.
*iOS 4.3 will be released on March 11th, the same day as the iPad 2 official launch.
Mobile Roadie is, as always, dedicated to staying on the cutting edge of mobile technology. We’re hard at work to make sure that your apps will deliver your message through a wide range of devices. The iPad 2 represents Apple’s latest release, along with iOS 4.3. Stay tuned for more as we work to make these changes benefit our customers.
Announcing The Beatles LOVE iPhone App
posted by Michael ArcandMobile Roadie is proud to announce the debut of The Beatles LOVE app. In partnership with Apple Corps and Cirque du Soleil, we’ve built an app for the release of the new LOVE album as well as the All Together Now film being released on iTunes.
This app makes you feel like you’re at the LOVE show in Vegas, delivered right to your iPhone or iPad. From within the app you can buy tickets to the show, listen to clips from the album, buy individual songs or the entire album via iTunes, and more.
The Love INSIDER is a digital guide of the show, including cast, crew, and creators. Also available are video clips from many scenes, and a photo gallery. Social interaction is provided through Facebook and Twitter components built into the app.
You can join the mailing list for more Beatles news and get the latest ticket offers and promotions from Cirque du Soliel.
Download The Beatles LOVE app today for free: http://road.ie/beatles
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