App Downloads To Top 235 Billion This Year

New figures have shown that more apps will be downloaded in 2015 than ever before, with many of them now considered to be essential to our daily lives and work schedules.

A report from analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of downloaded apps will soar to hit 235 billion on tablets and smartphones across the world.

This is a 28 percent rise on last year’s figure, demonstrating how important apps have become to many of us.

Eastern boom

This huge rise is particularly down to large demand from the Chinese market, Juniper says in its Apps & App Stores: Market Trends & Forecasts 2015-2019 report, with the nation making up 60 percent of all worldwide downloads.

The nation also leads the way in the number of apps downloaded per user, with the report finding that Chinese users will download close to 90 apps every year per smartphone or tablet – far higher than the global average, which sits at just 28 app downloads,

China also now plays host to five of the world’s leading seven app stores, with local players performing strongly thanks to the nation’s infamous Great Firewall of China severely blocking Google’s own app store, Google Play, which is the world’s largest.

This has native app stores such as Baidu and Qihoo 360 to profit hugely, with the former becoming the second largest app store in China behind Apple’s iOS store.

However, the report found that China still lags behind both the US and Japan in terms of app revenues, with revenues per download nearly nine times higher in the US and more than 14 times higher in Japan.

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