According to a new report from Canalys, mobile app downloads increased 11 percent in the first quarter of 2013 to reach 13.4 billion. The mobile development industry brought in $2.2 billion from paid apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions during the period, an increase of 9 percent.
“Apps have had a huge impact on the way consumers use mobile devices, what they value, and what they expect from smart phones and tablets,” said Adam Daum with Canalys. “They are now central to how consumers engage with content and connected services. This is a multi-billion-dollar growth market, with more and more consumers around the world now comfortable and confident in finding apps, downloading them and making in-app purchases, on a growing addressable base of smart phones and tablets.”
Apple’s App Store was the revenue leader, generating 74 percent of earnings for all the app stores, but Google Play led in downloads with 51 percent of the total.
