GetJar’s CEO Ilja Laurs’ musings on what 2010 will bring

Rating: The thoughts of Chairman Laurs on mobile apps

GetJar CEO Ilja Laurs has shared his thoughts with us on how 2010 will shape up. Social, dating and casual gaming apps will surge in popularity, for example. Most apps stores will fail. The mobile web will eclipse the fixed Net by 2020. And other such predictions …

The apps that will generate the biggest consumer demand in 2010 will be social, dating, and casual gaming apps, Laurs says. Those apps that operate on multiple - not single - platforms will be the ones that succeed.

Over the next 12-18 months, at least 90 per cent of mobile app stores will fail – leading to a dramatic change in the market.

Already, over half of GetJar users spend more time on the mobile web than via their desktop PC.  By 2020, the internet - as it is today - will be eclipsed by the mobile web.

Also by 2020, the amount of time consumers spend on mobile apps versus the desktop will be way bigger – both in terms of mindshare and money spent.

Several $10 million-a-year mobile app businesses will appear in 2010. As billing processes and agreements improve in 2011 and 2012, this will lead to the rise of the $100 million-a-year app businesses.

For the ultimate growth and survival of the apps business, synchronised, global mobile billing will become essential to ensure consumers can purchase content quickly and easily.

Finally, in 2010 other smartphone manufacturers will focus on features, design and the ‘cool factor’,  so that Apple’s iPhone will be finally eclipsed, Laurs predicts. Yeah, you wish