The Most Used iPhone Apps (They're Not Games!)
Earlier this month, comScore released statistics regarding the top application downloads of all time for Apple's iPhone platform. According to that information, which showed that nearly half of the top 25 are games, many people assumed that games are making the iPhone the success it is today. However, when looking at another metric, it seems that games might not be as popular as originally thought. When it comes to everyday use of applications, you see, there are several others that rank higher. Can you guess what they are?
As it turns out, the most heavily used iPhone apps aren't games - they're weather applications. This is according to new data from an upcoming report from market research firm Compete (and reported by MediaPost). The report states that 39% of iPhone users cited weather applications as the apps they used the most frequently, with 13% citing The Weather Channel app specifically.
Following weather apps, there comes Facebook. The app earned second place with 25% of users reporting they accessed the Facebook iPhone app regularly. It's possible that it won't be too long before Facebook beats out weather for first place, though. The application is growing in popularity, adding nearly 1 million active users per month, and is at 30 million actives worldwide. It was also recently recognized by Apple as the #1 All Time Free App in the iPhone app store.
Next, after Facebook, comes the games. 20% of iPhone users reported games as the apps they used the most often. 10% reported music-related apps, and then the apps that followed dropped down to single-digit percentages.
What may be most interesting about this study, though, is that it found people are seeking out apps for download by themselves instead of relying on recommendations from family and friends. According to the report, 60% of both iPhone and other smartphone users said they found the apps they wanted to download on their own. "It's surprising to see people actually spending time to self-discover," said Danielle Nohe, director of telecom and media-related research for Compete. That just goes to show these modern-day smartphones are really personal computers after all, aren't they?
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(In my entourage) Facebook app is used because it provides a real *full* live feed which is not the case with the new version of the website.
It happen that i just blog about my top 5 iphone apps, none are games also. http://imknight.net/2009/04/13/my-top-5-ipod-touch-apps/
Yup, that makes sense. I open WeatherBug app to watch Rachel Peterson's quirky forecast just about every morning at the breakfast table.
And now that baseball season is just about in full swing (yuck, yuck), I check the MLB app daily for scores and highlights. I thought last year's app was the best one around, but this year's is even better. Worth every penny.
What's yours? Mine's definitely Facebook or Tweeite
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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April 13, 2009 8:09 AM
Facebook, tweetie, byline (google reader app), chess with friends, wikipanion (for wikipedia). After that, all other app usage falls of the cliff.
Posted by: Mike Nayyar
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April 13, 2009 8:17 AM
Cazoodle hopes that it will soon be in that app menu. We have revolutionized the apartment search technique, but we know we need to be on the fore front of mobile apps as well.
http://www.cazoodle.com
Wikiamo, Facebook, NYTimes, Remote.
Posted by: Lukadium
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April 13, 2009 8:24 AM
Google Reader ( lowly web app - ha), Tweetie, various notes app and one voice note app, Agile Messenger, 1Password
Posted by: Patrick Jordan
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April 13, 2009 8:29 AM
@Patrick: Ah yes, if we're counting web apps, then I'm right there with you re: Google Reader!
Posted by: Sarah Perez
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April 13, 2009 8:30 AM
Sarah - I'm not faithful to it - keep looking for a native app to dethrone it, but nothing matches up so far :)
Posted by: Patrick Jordan
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April 13, 2009 8:33 AM
It would make sense that they are not games, but other apps for news or social media.
IP Vision Pro (cam monitor) and Siphon (VOIP client).
Posted by: coldbrew
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April 13, 2009 8:50 AM
I use Tweetie or TweetStack the most.
Posted by: Chris Rossini
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April 13, 2009 9:03 AM
Here's my top 5: Tweetie, Facebook, Things, FlightControl and Thermometer
My top 5 would be Safari (for mobile Gmail), Tweetie, Facebook, Byline, and Calendar.
I did do an overall list of my top apps here for those interested:
http://www.wongworks.com/2009/04/my-top-iphoneipod-touch-apps/
wow thanks for the info...great post, cheers
by the way for the very best in Up-To-Date infomation, tips and tricks aswell as great deals on most things to do with iphones/itouchs
go to http://www.bestiphone2u.com/
Mine's definitely Facebook or Tweeite
check out interesting iphone apps, reviews in http://www.appsd.com
The byline (google reader app), chess with friends, wikipanion (for wikipedia). After that, all other app usage falls of the cliff.
With the many applications for the iphone and the ipod, I find it interesting that people are using it for the weather! Why not use it to find a new favorite place to eat? And I'm not surprised that people are searching out new apps to try. That's half the fun!
facebook then Pandora, if Google Reader counts then it's #1
Posted by: John
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April 13, 2009 1:00 PM
Wow I can't believe no one has listed Google Mobile! I love the voice activated search feature.
I open my Weather and Mobile News app every morning.
Great post.. Thanks for providing the information
Europe's largest bank, HSBC Holdings, confirmed on Monday it was considering selling three of its major office buildings and said it
had received interest from potential buyers.
HSBC, which recently raised nearly $19 billion in a rights issue, said it may sell and lease-back office buildings in New York, Paris and London, including its headquarters at Canary Wharf.
London's Sunday Telegraph reported that HSBC was considering selling three of its biggest office buildings to raise 2.7 billion pounds ($3.98 billion).
"We are taking a look at the market, yes," spokesman David Hall said in Hong Kong.
"There are people interested in buying at an appropriate price," Hall said.
He declined to give further details.
HSBC bought back its building at Canary Wharf for 838 million pounds from ailing Spanish property firm Metrovacesa at the end of last year after the Spanish firm failed to refinance a loan secured on the building.
Globally, banks battered by the financial crisis have been looking to shed non-core assets in order to raise capital and improve their balance sheets.
"HSBC has just raised funds from a rights issue and the possible sale of offices could further boost its cash level and thus benefit the bank in its future acquisitions," said Alex Tang, head of research at Core Pacific-Yamaichi International.
The bank, which planned to shut most of its U.S. consumer lending business, said last month that it was ready for acquisitions in its traditional stronghold of Asia where many banks are pulling out to focus on core markets.
i also want to say yes you are right.people want to make thing easier.so,they use this apps as a pc
You're saying there are 30 million actives for iPhone app actives... it's 7 million, at the most.
Your link, Inside Facebook, says "Now, with nearly 7 million monthly active users users, the iPhone alone now represents nearly 25% of Facebook’s 30 million active mobile users worldwide."
(I say "at the most" because it's not clear from that statement whether the 7 million is app-only, or includes the mobile site.)
D. Bossert: I'm sure plenty of people have tried these apps, but this is about frequency of use. Regarding finding a restaurant, after buying an iPhone & paying for the voice/data plan, and buying apps, uh... I think I'm eating in.
T he keep looking for a native app to dethrone it, but nothing matches up s.
You're saying there are 30 million actives for iPhone app actives
Byline is the most used app for me. Love it. Better than Google reader when there's no Internet heh. The new version with progressive syncing makes it even faster.
Then comes TV Forecast. I'm a huge TV viewer and I follow too many shows. TV forecast lets me add all my shows and tells me when the next new episode is (with sypnosis if available and countdown).
My default weather app is Fizz Weather. Better than all others IMO.
thanks for sharing.
I don't even play games on my Nintendo DS, why would I buy an iPhone to play games? I'm ditching my very business like Blackberry for an iPhone ASAP because I use a Mac and need things to just WORK. That's what Apple does so well - it makes things work.
Life is too short for error messages and workarounds!
I just got my iPhone but I gotta say that so far other then the typical ones such as Yahoo messanger, Skype, mayspace, etc...
I think everyone should get the "Around me" it's free and it tracks your location and can locate everything form banks/ATM to hotels, and hospitals....
Definitely a must have in my opinion!!
After buying an iPhone & paying for the voice/data plan, and buying apps, uh... I think I'm eating in.
I agree that PhoneGap's vision is the way to go - but they are lightyears behind the QuickConnect framework. I've been working with these frameworks for the past 4 months and there is simply no comparison. QuickConnect is everything PhoneGap should be and more.The author also responds to questions pretty quickly. I've seen him add new features for people requesting
Weather, navigation, socialising apps and a few games when it is really boring - that is all you need for your iPhone.
Check Pandora and Last.fm - great applications for listening free music streamed directly to your iPhone.
No wonder that the Facebook app became so popular, everywhere you go you can see the ads you can 'meet with your friends' on Facebook on this woderful new mobile phone
First place will be always taken by wather gadgets - these are as much in demand as clock apps ;)
I've been working with these frameworks for the past 4 months and there is simply no comparison. QuickConnect is everything PhoneGap should be and more.The author also responds to questions pretty quickly.
I've been working with these frameworks for the past 4 months and there is simply no comparison. QuickConnect is everything PhoneGap should be and more.The author also responds to questions pretty quickly.
Great article. I think content has been dethroned, context is the new king!
Quite surprised to see no mention of APML under markup though, this is game changing in the search for context IMHO.