InMobi Insights : Asia drives global app download growth in Q3'14

Getting to download an app is a challenge faced by app developers the worldover. As advertisers worry about their user acquisition strategy, manyquestions need to be answered. When do users download most? Which countriesare growing the fastest? Where are gaming apps most popular?

InMobi’slatest report - The State of Mobile App Downloads 2014 Q3 answers these and many more questions. Here we present insights and interesting patterns based on research conducted on theInMobi network.

Are mobile users downloading apps?

Nearly17,000 apps hit the app store every week^[1], bombarding users with an array of choices. Mobile app downloads measuredon the InMobi network witnessed a 32% growth in Q3 as compared to 13% in Q2. This could in-part be attributed to the growing smartphone penetration.

Where can I find mobile app users?

While USAcontinues to lead the world of mobile app downloads, four of the top 5 appdownloading destinations are in Asia. Not only do they account for asubstantial share of downloads, they are also some of the fastest growingnations.

With 69%Q-on-Q growth, China leads the way, showcasing some promise as a major appeconomy in the coming quarters. India and Indonesia aren’t far behind with over60% growth. A majority of these countries are mobile first - mobile devices areheir primary source for internet access. This bodes well for advertisers anddevelopers.

How many apps do users download?

Along withhigh share of downloads, Asian countries also account for some of the highestper capita^[2]app downloads. Indonesia leads with an average of 6 mobile app downloads per100 users, followed by Malaysia, Philippines and South Korea at 2.7. Themajority of these economies are still in their early phases of smartphoneadoption and users are keen to discover new apps thus driving high per capitaapp downloads. However, over time, users will accumulate a portfolio of appsand will prefer sticking to them, thus levelling the curve.

Which app categories are most popular?

At 68%share of app downloads, Gaming continues to be the most favoured app categoryamongst smartphone users. It is also one of the fastest growing categories witha 40% Q-on-Q growth rate. This growth is primarily being led by developingnations such as China, Indonesia, India, Russia and Malaysia. Communication apps remain the second favoritewith an 11% share of downloads.

When are apps most downloaded?

Whenlooking to reach your audience, it is imperative that you spend your time andeffort when your users are most active. As seen on our network, the top 5 appdownload destinations follow a similar time pattern. Post work hours are themous choice of time for downloading apps.

Where are we headed?

Withincreasing smartphone penetration, and rising media time spent, advertisers today have awider user base to explore presenting an immense opportunity.

Looking for more?

For anin-depth look at the app download trends of Q3, download The State of Mobile App Downloads 2014 Q3 Report.

Related Reports

The State of Mobile App Downloads 2014 Q2

The State of Mobile App Monetization 2014 Q2

Interestedin understanding more about this research? Reach out to our insights team at insights@inmobi.com.

^[1] Calculated using available apps on Apple and Googleapp store, Statista, 2014

^[2] Per capita app downloads is calculated as the number of apps downloaded per 100 users