Most popular mobile application downloads from GetJar include social networks, games and Google

Seems to be the time of year when analytics and metrics results are becoming available from different mobile sources. Earlier today GoMo News published the most popular search results from mobile voice enabler Vlingo. And now it’s time for some mobile applications, from successful independent app store Getjar.

Independent app store? How does that work?

GetJar is an interesting beasty, with an interesting business model. It is an application store that is completely independent of any single device, platform, OS or operator. It’s also independent from purchases – at the moment, GetJar only hosts applications that are completely free of charge. So calling it a “store” is something of a misnomer. It makes its money mostly through the “pay per download” program – brands and developers can bid for higher visibility on GetJar, but they only pay for each fully completed download.

GetJar has been around since well before iPhones popularised applications – it was launched in 2004, four years before the App Store. GetJar currently hosts over 60,000 mobile apps and supports Blackberry, Android, Samsung, LG, Palm, Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones.

The list:

The top five UK apps for December 2009 were:

1.      Facebook
2.      eBuddy – instant messaging
3.      Need for Speed Shift
4.      Google mobile app
5.      YouTube

What we think?

Interesting. Let’s have a look at that list. Facebook and eBuddy make two social networking apps – no surprise there. YouTube isn’t a shocker either. But the other two are interesting. Google mobile app is a voice-enabler, much like Vlingo. I wonder if that’s there because of the growing number of Android devices on the market… devices which GetJar supports. And finally, Need for Speed Shift. Everything else on the list is a service; a mobile app dedicated to a specific mobile function. And in the middle of it is a single, specifically branded EA Mobile game. I guess the massive efforts that EA has plunged into mobile during 2009 have paid off!