Research reports forecasting future market sizes should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it occasionally helps to see the estimates of research organizations in order to gain some perspective on the current and upcoming trends for those markets.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what research2guidance has to say about the worldwide smartphone application market, which it estimates will grow from $1.94 billion in 2009 to $15.65 billion by 2013.
The big surge in applications will be driven by a fast-growing number of smartphone users, which the research company estimates will increase from about 100 million last year to nearly 1 billion by 2013.
There’s a ton of opportunity for corporations to tap into this vast audience with mobile apps, research2guidance adds, because according to its research only 10% of Fortune 2000 companies are targeting their customers with a smartphone application to date.
Still according to the agency’s findings, the vast majority of them have published applications to give access to their core products or for promotional purposes (91%). Only a minor share (9%) use applications as a stand-alone product.
If you’re interested in the full report, you can purchase it here.
Does your company offer mobile applications for smartphones? On what platform?
Damn … I know those are only estimates … but still … pretty impressive!
How can you base a four-year prediction on a single actual data point (2009)?!
That’s wassup
Great to have the interest of the TechCrunch community!
The upward trajectory of the smartphone app market certainly points to a key opportunity for corporations, the majority of whom have not yet made the jump into the mobile market. However, our new report includes key insights from those “first mover” corporations that have managed to publish successful apps.
Interested readers can check out a preview of some of this first-hand feedback (and more!) here:
http://bit.ly/r2g_AppReportPreview
I totally agree. This smart phone market is only growing to grow, and at a drastic rate.
I don’t see that happening the recession doesn’t make people buy smartphones or applications
Recessions are only temporary and don’t last forever. Innovations trending strongly such as smart phones, and applicaitons for them will continue to ‘truck-on’ regardless of any recession / depression.
The forecast is complete BS, I can tell even without taking a look at details. They probably extrapolated the trend from the beginning of the app market all the way to 2013 without taking into account seasonal effects like deflators in the Global economy, also affecting Internet-related purchases. But, hold on! If Obama finds a way to pay back US creditors, mainly Japan and China, in the form of smart-phone apps, the forecast may actually work!!! That would make the US government the single biggest owner of smart-phone apps! sending in my resume in for consideration… :)
I will say that it could actually be greater, and here’s why. What we’re seeing in the chart is simply consumer behavior. If you’ll recall from the previous smartphone platforms, apps that approached $50 were not uncommon and perhaps will not be again. Think SalesForce.
This is specifically not including tablets, but Microsoft Office for the iPad could easily garner $99. I may be interested in running that on my iPhone as well simply to have remote access to files. The “smartphone” is going to transition from a device to a mobile computing paradigm.
Take verticals. Look at education. Let’s say that it is possible to sell educational content like textbooks on tablets and smartphones. That would be a multi-billion dollar market completely outside of the general consumer space. Look at medicine!
The chart could easily move away from a linear progressions. In fact I believe that a linear chart is more often simply wrong. It is not going down however, particularly with sales of smartphone following an upward curve.
The figures look reasonable to me.
The smartphone sales have increased even during the recession. There is no reason why this should stop in a more positive economic environment.
In addition with the growing competition between SP vendors prices will go done which makes smartphone affordable for people who prefered feature phones because of the price. Today in some countries the share of smartphone shipments of total handsets sales pasted the 20% line. I don’t see why this trend should stop either.
You are wise Nick
Yes of course!
Mobango Indipendent appstore numbers suggest it:
http://blog.mobango.com/2010/306/mobango%E2%80%99s-success-in-2009-suggests-its-app-market-will-quadruple-in-2010-100-million-visits-worldwide-in-2009/
7 fold increase in 3 years? that must be some record if that happens ?
I think apps could have the potential of increasing in sales, but I also think this growth is going to be hindered due to apples app police. Lately they seem to be stealthily removing apps without warning. I think if this becomes more of a trend those numbers won’t be nearly as much by 2013
Remember the tide has to turn where some apps just aren’t useful….is a phone smart if it has 20 million useless apps?
I was wondering if the google market and apple appstore can be considered as monopoly since their is no way another company can release a new market or appstore on their phones???
I agree that this is a huge figure, but it is achievable. I expect even more numbers
With that said, Touchscreen Mobile Device Sales Will Grow 97 Percent in 2010 and By 2013 Touchscreen Mobile devices will capture 58% of Mobile device market. You can read the rest here – http://www.machackpc.com/news/technews/touchscreen-mobile-device-sales-will-grow-97-percent-says-gartner/
wow! incredible,This is why companies like Appboy http://appboy.com have good things coming for them, they r the social network for app developers and users, i am a developer and use them to get my work discovered.
I'm not sure with your opinion above, but the best way to proof it just let we see later…
but if you're right I'll give you my two thumbs up…
agalar ben bisey anlamiyoum bu isten siz bana bakmayin olesine yaziyourm iste