NEW YORK (July 22, 2009)—Mobile phones are becoming cheaper and more sophisticated in functionality, and consumers are responding by upgrading their handsets. Some of the traditional barriers to the mobile Internet, namely cost, complexity and user experience, are beginning to ebb and usage is on the rise.
eMarketer predicts that gains in mobile Internet usage will continue over the next five years. In the US, the number of mobile users accessing the Internet will jump from 73.7 million in 2009 to 134.3 million in 2013. By 2013, eMarketer expects 43.5% of US mobile subscribers to be accessing the Internet at least once per month from their mobile device through browsers or installed applications.
Apple breathed life into mobile Internet with its successful App Store, but other device manufacturers and operating system providers, such as BlackBerry and Google’s Android platform, are on its heels. Other participants in the mobile value chain are also cashing in on the jolt Apple and those in its wake have provided to the mobile advertising market.
A key factor fueling the explosion in mobile applications is the steady advance of smartphones, which are outpacing the growth of standard feature phones by a healthy margin. Even in the face of a global recession, the International Data Corporation (IDC) expects smartphone shipments to grow by 3.4% this year, and expand at triple the rate of feature phones in 2010. Cost, complexity and poor user experience have begun to recede, and as a result, consumers feel emboldened to do more with their mobile devices.
“For many marketers, mobile applications constitute an increasingly necessary avenue for reaching and engaging with their customers, whether by building a proprietary application or sponsoring a third-party effort,” said Noah Elkin, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the report “Mobile Applications: Moving Beyond Apple.”
“In both cases, the essential challenge remains: to understand consumer behavior and craft experiences that resonate with a target audience and integrate with other channels,” said Mr. Elkin.
Building new applications is not the only option. Brand marketers should consider a media sponsorship of an existing application as an alternative, providing they can find an appropriate fit with their brand values and overall strategy.
To speak to Mr. Elkin about his analysis of the mobile market, contact Samson Adepoju.
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Media Contact:
Samson Adepoju
Public Relations Specialist, eMarketer
Tel. 212-763-6044
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