Mobile apps store report from Visiongain

Rating: Bit of an Android/iPhone and North American bias

An interesting report has just been finalised by Vgtelecoms (part of Visiongain), entitled ‘Mobile Applications Market 2010-2015′. The report seems to be somewhat biased towards Apple’s iTunes App Store but the list of companies covered appears to compensate for that.

In the Press Blurb to promote this particular report, there are only a few stats. For example, “The mobile app market is estimated to be worth around $25 billion.”

Along with, “Apple has claimed that there were 2.5 billion downloads last year from its site.” Plus “Statistics revealed that Apple accumulates an estimated 99 per cent of apps market share.”

Covered in the executive summary are these topics: – Is mobile apps a recession proof industry?; the Future battleground for developers; Opportunity for operators; and Apple by far the market leader.” Although the last topic is self-evident, the others seem worthwhile if you’re prepared to pay for your research.

The report does alos seem to have something of an operator bias. For example, it says, “Network operators are thriving to increase their ARPU by introducing advanced voice and text services and the phenomena of the mobile apps store could be the answer to this.”

The section apps stores goes very heavy on both iTunes and Android but also getting a mention are the Nokia Ovi Store; Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace; Palm’s Pre App Catalog; Symbian Horizon; and, somewhat refreshingly – LG’s Application Store. That makes a nice change.

Interstingly Nokia’s Ovi gets another mention in the third party apps stores section along with Getjar, Handango; Handmark; AppsLib, RIM’s blackberry apps store, and 3.5.4 Airtel app. It also mentions “T-Mobile’s effort” Do you sense an element of North American bias here, perhaps?

There’s also a claim that 150 companies are mentioned in this report which is pretty impressive really, given that the report is only 98 pages long.

Those with the necessary wonga should email Derek Lam and have £1,499 ready for a single copy.