This latest report from comScore, Inc. not only shows the surging popularity of social networking on mobile devices, it also reinforces the idea that social is becoming more and more intertwined into our daily lives and activities. With the release of Apple’s iPhone 4, and an ever growing list of competing products, these numbers are sure to continue to grow. Continue reading to learn about the top activities these new internet devices are being used for everyday.
comScore, Inc. recently released a report on the fastest-growing mobile application and browser content categories based on data from its MobiLens service. The report found that social networking led as the top-gaining category for both application and browser access, confirming the surging popularity of this service on mobile devices. The study also found that accessing Bank Accounts was one of the fastest-gaining categories via both app and browser, as the convenience of mobile banking continues to appeal to a growing number of consumers.
“With mobile media consumption on the rise, the discussion of how consumers are accessing content — whether it is via application, browser or both — continues to be an important factor for companies looking to invest further in their mobile brands,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. “Although application access is clearly on the rise, with several categories more than doubling their audience via this method, content consumption via browser continues to be the most popular method for Americans to access mobile media.”
Smartphone Users Post Triple-Digit Growth in App and Browser Access
In terms of penetration, 78 percent of smartphone users accessed their browser in April 2010, while 80 percent of smartphone users accessed applications. In comparison, just 19 percent of feature phone users accessed their browser, with 17 percent accessing applications. Although smartphone users are driving growth in browser (up 111 percent in the past year) and application (up 112 percent) access, feature phone users still make up nearly half of all users accessing mobile browsers and apps.
“Although growth in application usage on smartphones continues to grab the spotlight in the mobile market, the audience using their mobile browser remains larger and is growing just as quickly,” added Donovan. “Brands need to remember to take into consideration the user experience across both channels when building their mobile strategies.”
*comScore defines smartphones as a mobile device with the following operating systems: RIM, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Palm, Symbian
Social Networking App Audience More Than Triples in Past Year
In April 2010, 69.6 million mobile users accessed an application on their phone, an increase of 28 percent from the previous year. Several application categories experienced triple-digit growth in the past year, emphasizing the increasing popularity of this method as a form of mobile content access. Social Networking experienced the strongest growth in app access, increasing 240 percent to 14.5 million users. Accessing News apps followed, growing 124 percent to 9.3 million users, while Sports Information apps experienced a 113-percent surge to nearly 7.7 million users. Bank Accounts apps also more than doubled their audience, growing to nearly 5 million users in April.
Fastest-Growing Content Categories via Application Access
3 Month Avg. Ending Apr. 2010 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Apr. 2009
Total U.S. Age 13+
Source: comScore MobiLens
Total Audience (000)
Application Access Category
Apr-2009
Apr-2010
% Change
Total Audience: 13+ yrs old
232,000
234,000
1
Used application (except native games)
54,414
69,639
28
Social Networking
4,270
14,518
240
News
4,148
9,292
124
Sports Information
3,598
7,672
113
Bank Accounts
2,340
4,974
113
Weather
8,557
18,063
111
Movie Information
3,296
6,359
93
Maps
8,708
16,773
93
Online Retail
1,416
2,701
91
Photo or Video Sharing Service
3,131
5,950
90
Search
5,434
10,315
90
More Americans Still Use their Browser versus Applications
Nearly 73 million mobile users accessed their browser in April, an increase of 31 percent from the previous year. Mirroring application category growth, Social Networking ranked as the fastest-growing category accessed via browser, growing 90 percent from the previous year to reach almost 30 million users, followed by Bank Accounts (69 percent to 13.2 million users). Online Retail sites also experienced a significant increase in audience usage via browser, increasing 47 percent to 7.3 million users, as Americans continued to show adoption of the mobile retail channel.
Donovan continued, “Social networking is by far the fastest-growing mobile activity right now. With 20 percent of mobile users now accessing social networking sites via their phone, we expect to see both application and browser usage continuing to drive future consumption of social media.”
Fastest-Growing Content Categories via Browser Access
3 Month Avg. Ending Apr. 2010 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Apr. 2009
Total U.S. Age 13+
Source: comScore MobiLens
Total Audience (000)
Browser Access Category
Apr-2009
Apr-2010
% Change
Total Audience: 13+ yrs old
232,000
234,000
1
Used browser
55,503
72,872
31
Social Networking
15,708
29,835
90
Bank Accounts
7,801
13,154
69
General Reference
7,246
12,084
67
Sports Information
14,033
21,549
54
Search
23,266
34,912
50
Stock Trading
3,214
4,817
50
Online Retail
4,968
7,326
47
News
17,957
26,003
45
Movie Information
10,295
14,895
45
Classifieds
7,039
10,181
45
