Despite reinforcements arriving this year from Nokia, Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform will only account for 2% of all mobile application downloads in 2012, a recent report suggests. Market research firm ABI Research recently released a new study stating that nearly 36 billion apps will be downloaded to smartphones and tablets this year, and an overwhelming 83% of those downloads will be served to either Android or iOS-powered devices. “Although Windows Phone lags behind RIM’s BlackBerry and even Nokia’s Symbian, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the two percent that we forecast for 2012 would be twice the share the platform achieved last year,” ABI analyst Lim Shiyang said in a statement. “Microsoft is gaining momentum, but its starting point is frustratingly low.” Devices like Nokia’s new Lumia 900, which BGR reviewed on Tuesday, are expected to improve Microsoft’s position in the smartphone market while the firm works on its next major OS release, Windows Phone 8. ABI Research’s press release follows below.

Windows Phone to Represent 2% of 2012’s App Downloads, but Its Future Will Be Brighter

LONDON – April 3, 2012

Mobile users will download nearly 36 billion apps in 2012 and Android and iOS will make up for 83% of the app downloads, while only 2% can be attributed to Windows Phone.

Research associate Lim Shiyang says, “Although Windows Phone lags behind RIM’s BlackBerry and even Nokia’s Symbian, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the two percent that we forecast for 2012 would be twice the share the platform achieved last year. Microsoft is gaining momentum, but its starting point is frustratingly low. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t really a chicken-and-egg problem of low device sales holding back the app business and the slow app business holding back the device sales. It’s more complicated than that.�

There are four factors undermining Windows Phone’s app growth. First, the small device market share is the most obvious drag. Second, Windows Marketplace’s global roll-out has taken a long time, further limiting the number of potential customers. Third, Microsoft has also been slow to enable in-app purchasing, meaning that most of the quality apps remain behind an upfront paywall. And fourth, there have been no tablets built on the platform. Advancement on any of these fronts will have a positive impact.

According to senior analyst Aapo Markkanen, “One message we hear from many developers is that, purely technically speaking, Windows Phone is actually a rather appealing platform. And if it turns out to be a platform for relatively high-end devices, avoiding the fragmentation pitfalls of Android, it won’t even need to achieve a remarkably large market share to attract a vibrant app scene. The arrival of the first Windows 8 tablets, as well as Windows Phone’s upgrade to the Apollo iteration, should also give it a boost, since developers can reuse their code to launch on various screen sizes.�

ABI Research’s study, “Mobile Applications Market Data,� provides insight into the fast-growing mobile applications market. The market data include a forecast for application downloads, segmented by operating system platform, as well as a forecast for application revenues. Also, a list of storefronts, with their key features and regional availability, is provided.

It is part of the firm’s Mobile Applications Research Service.

Microsoft will soon launch Lync enterprise chat applications for iOS, Windows Phone, Android and BlackBerry devices. Australian tech enthusiast Gary Holden asked Microsoft’s official Australia Twitter account whether or not rumors were true that Lync would be released in the next four weeks, to which Microsoft Australia replied “Confirmed.” Lync provides an IM solution with integrated video, web conferencing and audio features, although it is unclear how many of those features will be carried over to the mobile application when it is released.

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Arguments have been made that web apps will gain momentum as mobile browsers become more capable, but not everyone sees mobile apps losing momentum any time soon. A new report from Berg Insights suggests that mobile app downloads will continue growing at a compound annual rate of 56.6% between last year and 2015, when nearly 1 trillion apps will be downloaded globally. ”Even though the download numbers will increase during the forecast period, most apps are free to download and app monetisation will be a challenge for developers”, Berg senior analyst Johan Svanberg said in a statement. “Free to download monetisation strategies such as in-app advertising and in-app purchasing will be increasingly important. This is especially true in the APAC region, which will account for over 40 percent of all mobile app downloads in 2015.” Berg Insights’ full press release follows below.

Berg Insight says 98 billion mobile applications will be downloaded in 2015

Gothenburg, Sweden – October 7, 2011: According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 56.6 percent between 2010 and 2015 to reach 98 billion at the end of the period. Berg Insight estimates that revenues from paid applications, in-app purchases and subscription services – so called direct revenues – reached € 1.6 billion in 2010. Berg Insight forecasts direct app store revenues to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40.7 percent to reach € 8.8 billion in 2015. Apple’s iOS is the current leader in direct monetisation of mobile applications and will keep the number one position during the forecast period. The Android and Windows Phone operating systems are anticipated to be number two and three respectively in 2015.

“Even though the download numbers will increase during the forecast period, most apps are free to download and app monetisation will be a challenge for developers”, said Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight. “Free to download monetisation strategies such as in-app advertising and in-app purchasing will be increasingly important. This is especially true in the APAC region, which will account for over 40 percent of all mobile app downloads in 2015.” He adds that for the next coming years, the native mobile app is here to stay. New web technologies such as HTML5 are promising and will eventually be relevant alternatives to native apps. It is also important to remember that web apps and native apps are not mutual exclusives and publishers looking for maximizing reach should develop for the web as well as for the major mobile platforms.

141.1 million people around the world will make mobile payments this year, a 38.2% increase from last year, Gartner said in a new report issued on Friday. Global mobile payment volume is expected to hit $86.1 billion in 2011, up 75.9% from the $48.9 billion recorded last year. Gartner says mobile payments are not growing as fast as originally projected due to slower than expected uptake in developing countries. In addition, the “complexity of the [NFC]” service model has impeded its ability to takeoff in developed countries. “The biggest hurdle is the need to change user behavior by convincing consumers to pay with mobile phones instead of cash and cards,” Gartner research director Sandy Shen said, noting that mass market adoption of near-field communications (NFC) is at least four years away. Mobile payments will be driven by prepaid top-ups and money transfers, the research firm said. “Thanks to the success of mobile application stores, such as Apple’s App Store, and the efforts in driving mobile sales by major retailers, such as Amazon and eBay, merchandise purchases far outweigh other use cases in developed markets, which include North America and Western Europe,” Shen said. “We predict that in 2011, merchandise purchases will account for 90 percent and 77 percent of all transactions in North America and Western Europe, respectively.” Read on for the full press release.

Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Payment Users to Reach 141 Million in 2011

Mobile Payments in Developing Markets Growing Slower Than Expected

Worldwide mobile payment users will surpass 141.1 million in 2011, a 38.2 percent increase from 2010, when mobile payment users reached 102.1 million, according to Gartner, Inc. Worldwide mobile payment volume is forecast to total $86.1 billion, up 75.9 percent from 2010 volume of $48.9 billion.

Despite these strong growth projections, Gartner analysts said the mobile payment market is growing slower than expected.

“In developing markets, despite favorable conditions for mobile payment, growth is not as strong as was anticipated. Many service providers are yet to adapt their strategies to local requirements, and success models from Kenya and the Philippines are unlikely to be translated to other markets,� said Sandy Shen, research director at Gartner. While developing markets have favorable conditions for mobile payments, such as high penetration of mobile devices and low banking penetration, this is no guarantee of success, unless service providers adapt their strategies to local market requirements.�

“In developed markets, companies are trumpeting the prospects of Near Field Communication (NFC) without realizing the complexity of the service model. We believe mass market adoption of NFC payments is at least four years away,” Ms. Shen said. “The biggest hurdle is the need to change user behavior by convincing consumers to pay with mobile phones instead of cash and cards.”

Gartner expects Short Message Service (SMS) and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) to remain the dominant access technologies in developing markets due to the constraints of mobile phones. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) will remain the preferred mobile access technology in developed markets, where the mobile Internet is commonly available and activated on the phone. Mobile app downloads and mobile commerce are the main drivers of WAP payments, and WAP will account for almost 90 percent of all mobile transactions in North America and about 70 percent in Western Europe in 2011.

Money transfers and prepaid top-ups will drive transaction volumes in developing markets. These are seen as the “killer apps” in developing markets, where people value the convenience of sending money to relatives and topping up mobile accounts. This is most obvious in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where these two services will account for 54 percent and 32 percent of all transactions in 2011.

“Thanks to the success of mobile application stores, such as Apple’s App Store, and the efforts in driving mobile sales by major retailers, such as Amazon and eBay, merchandise purchases far outweigh other use cases in developed markets, which include North America and Western Europe,” Ms. Shen said. “We predict that in 2011, merchandise purchases will account for 90 percent and 77 percent of all transactions in North America and Western Europe, respectively.”

Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Market Trends: Mobile Payments Worldwide, 2011.” The report is available on Gartner’s website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1714114.

A U.S. judge has shot down Apple’s request that Amazon stop using the word “Appstore” to describe its mobile application marketplace. Apple originally filed a lawsuit against Amazon in March of this year arguing that Amazon’s “Appstore” infringed on Apple’s “App Store” trademark. Amazon immediately responded calling the claims “baseless,” and now the court has taken its side. “The evidence does show that Apple has spent a great deal of money on advertising and publicity, and has sold/provided/furnished a large number of apps from its App Store,” Judge Phyllis Hamilton, said. “However, there is also evidence that the term ‘app store’ is used by other companies as a descriptive term for a place to obtain software applications for mobile devices.” Hamilton argued that Apple’s use of the phrase “App Store” was “more descriptive than distinctive.” Microsoft and Apple are also fighting over the term — and Microsoft has said that the term “App Store” is “generic for retail store services featuring apps.” Apple’s case against Amazon is currently being heard by an appeals board.

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If you live in Seattle and use a Windows Phone 7 handset, you're one of about 40,000 people that can take advantage of Amazon's new AmazonFresh mobile application [Windows Marketplace]. More »

During the Streaming Media East 2011 press event in New York City this morning, HBO’s co-president Eric Kessler said that the network’s HBO Go mobile application has been downloaded more than 1 million times in just one week. The app launched late last month for iOS and Android devices. HBO Go provides access — via Wi-Fi or 3G — to more than 1,400 titles including popular HBO shows such as True Blood, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boardwalk Empire, and more. It’s available in the Android Market and iTunes App Store now if you’re looking for your fill of Larry David on the bus ride home today.

According to IHS-owned market research firm iSuppli, revenues from major mobile app stores will grow 77.7% to $3.8 billion this year. iSuppli estimates that major app markets like those offered by Apple, Google, Nokia and RIM sold $2.1 billion worth of apps in 2010 and just $830.6 million in 2009. “With consumers continuing to show robust, unflagging interest in downloading games and other applications to devices like smart phones and tablets, collective revenues from the four stores will climb sharply this year,â€� said IHS mobile media analyst Jack Kent in a statement. According to the report, consumers’ hunger for mobile apps won’t be slowing down any time soon. The firm suggests that app store sales will continue to grow linearly — as most analysts these days seem to believe all growth is linear — with revenues ballooning to $5.6 billion in 2012 and $8.3 billion in 2014. Hit the break for the full press release.

Revenue for Major Mobile App Stores to Rise 77.7 Percent in 2011

May 3, 2011

JACK KENT

Combined revenues from the four major mobile application stores run by Apple Inc., Google Inc., Nokia Corp. and Research In Motion Ltd. will leap 77.7 percent in 2011 to $3.8 billion, with the Apple App Store projected to eat up a gargantuan three-quarters share of the total market, according to new IHS Screen Digest research.

“With consumers continuing to show robust, unflagging interest in downloading games and other applications to devices like smart phones and tablets, collective revenues from the four stores will climb sharply this year,� said Jack Kent, analyst, mobile media, for IHS.

Combined revenue for the four stores in 2011 will rise from $2.1 billion in 2010 and from $830.6 million in 2009. Application store revenues were first tracked in 2008 in a market worth just $206.01 million, with the Apple App Store the only viable presence at that time.

Total download revenue from games and other applications are projected to continue rising in the next few years, jumping to $5.6 billion in 2012, $6.9 billion in 2013 and $8.3 billion in 2014. The four app stores are the major players at present in the field, but other sites, such as Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace, conceivably could gain enough size and presence in the future to shake up the market.

Apple App Store to Account for Three-Quarters of Market
To no one’s surprise, the Apple App Store continues to head off all competition. Projected figures for the Apple App Store this year call for revenue of $2.91 billion, up 63.4 percent from $1.78 billion in 2010. Given that Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad are the market leaders in their field, the company’s App Store is expected to take in 76 percent of revenue this year and retain 60 percent market share by 2014, despite efforts by the other stores to match Apple’s ability to monetize its users, IHS believes.

Apple also will lead the way with revenue gained from in-app purchases—or additional purchases made within a paid application, such as bonus game levels—which will serve as a key growth driver for revenue up to 2014.

Google Android Market on the Rise
Making a serious bid for consumer dollars, however, is Google’s Android Market, which will see the fastest growth in 2011. Android Market revenue will soar 295.4 percent this year to $425.36 million, on its way to become the second-largest application store.

The ascension of Google Market to runner-up position means a fall in ranking for last year’s second-place finisher, Research In Motion (RIM). This year, the BlackBerry App World will finish third with expected revenue of $279.11 million. Despite 69.2 percent growth in 2011 that will rival Apple’s App Store revenue expansion, BlackBerry App World will have the fewest downloads, numbering about 772.2 million, compared to a staggering 10.3 billion downloads for the Apple App Store and 5.8 billion downloads for Android Market.

In last place this year will be the Nokia Ovi Store, with $201.48 million in anticipated revenue and 1.1 billion downloads from Nokia’s Symbian smart phone users. Both the RIM and Nokia app stores will continue over the next few years to be relegated to the two lower positions as Apple and Google remain the dominant players, IHS Screen Digest figures show.

The total number of downloaded applications in 2011 is expected to reach 18.1 billion by year-end, compared to 9.5 billion last year, 3.1 billion in 2009 and 419.2 million in 2008. By 2014, downloaded applications will top some 33 billion.

Amazon’s new Appstore for Android devices could launch as soon as next Tuesday, March 22, according to sources speaking to Wired. Amazon publicly announced that it would be competing with Google’s Android Market back in January, and in an effort to draw users to its site, the company has plans to offer exclusive titles such as Angry Birds Rio. Wired’s source also suggested that users will be able to download apps not only from the web, but also from a mobile application. Just two days ago shots of the Appstore in action leaked, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see this launch date rumor come to fruition.

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According to reports from developers speaking to The Register, iOS web applications — when launched from the home screen of an iPhone or iPad — run 2 to 2.5 times slower than if launched directly from the Safari web browser. Right now it’s unclear if Apple is directly, or indirectly, causing this to happen. It’s possible that the speed cut is a result of a bug, but the developers have pointed out that it makes web apps less desirable than those that can be downloaded or purchased through the iTunes App Store. If Apple is doing this on purpose, it could be viewed as an attempt to force developers to publish content to the company’s mobile application store — where Apple takes a 30% cut of sales revenues. “Apple is basically using subtle defects to make web apps appear to be low quality—even when they claim HTML5 is a fully supported platform,” argued one developer. Another developer said that Apple is using an older JavaScript engine, which is causing some of the issues. Web sites that are saved to the homescreen as web apps cannot take advantage of HTML5′s application caching capabilities, which allows for offline viewing. Developers have filed bug reports with Apple, but have yet to receive any feedback.

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U.S. wireless provider Sprint has announced a new mobile application available to subscribers of its Total Equipment Protection (TEP) program, titled Protection App. Protection App — available to Android and BlackBerry users — will allow customers who have lost their smartphone to locate the device using a web portal, remotely lock the device, erase address book contacts, and manage contacts. Sprint customers can sign up for the TEP program within 30 days of a new handset purchase; the application can be downloaded for free from Sprint’s website. TEP retails for $7 per month. Hit the break for the full press release.

Smartphone Lost? Locate It, Lock It, Clear It and Restore It with New Protection App from Sprint

Free application is available to customers who subscribe to Sprint’s Total Equipment Protection plan

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), February 28, 2011 – The cost to replace a lost mobile device is usually the least of a wireless customer’s worries, especially if he or she is protected by Sprint’s Total Equipment Protection, which provides coverage against loss, theft and damage. The bigger nightmare is the thought that a customer’s personal contacts, photos and other private information could fall into the wrong hands. To help alleviate those fears, Sprint (NYSE: S) customers needing to track down a lost device and protect their personal information can do so now with the launch of a new application called Total Equipment Protection App.*

Sprint customers with Total Equipment Protection will be able to access the new application, beginning today, at www.sprint.com/protection, where they will benefit from the following features:

• Locate lost device by sounding an alarm on the smartphone even if in silent mode, doing a real time locate via GPS technology, or viewing the smartphone’s location history on a map via a Web Interface
• Remotely lock their smartphone
• Erase contacts in the address book on a lost smartphone
• Backup, manage and restore contacts

“Anyone who has lost a phone knows that their personal information is possibly just as vulnerable as if their computer was hacked,� said John Carney, senior vice president of consumer marketing for Sprint. “Now, Sprint customers have peace of mind knowing that their personal and private information is safe. TEP and this accompanying application is a safeguard for customers who want protection from not only loss, but misuse and unauthorized access.�

The Protection App is included at no additional charge as a benefit of Total Equipment Protection plan, which is $7 per month, per line of service. It is available to customers with phones using BlackBerry and Android mobile platforms. TEP customers download and install the user-friendly application at www.sprint.com/protection. Privacy protection is included with the Protection App. Each time the smartphone’s location is requested by the Web interface, an SMS text message is sent to the smartphone notifying it has been located.

In addition to purchasing TEP coverage, customers have several other steps to help customers protect their information:

• Pass codes – Sprint customers should always use pass codes to lock their phones and make it harder for the phone to be accessible if lost.
• Protect voice mail – Use the “pass code featureâ€� to retrieve voicemails rather than opting to skip it in order to maintain the highest level of security. Without it, anyone with access to the device can connect to the voicemail.
• Contact Sprint – Call Sprint’s Customer Care department immediately to deactivate the phone if it is believed to be lost, stolen or accessed without authorization.

Microsoft on Tuesday launched a new version of its OneNote mobile application for Apple’s iOS platform. Compatibile with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, OneNote allows iPhone users to create, edit and sync notes using Microsoft’s popular cloud-based note-taking solution. OneNote is part of Microsoft’s famed Office suite of products, and is the first Office application to be built by Microsoft for the iOS platform. Microsoft, which has launched several other apps for iOS in the past, has not specifically stated whether or not it intends to launch additional apps for iOS. Instead, a company executive said only that Microsoft would continue to expand Office across several platforms. Hit the break for a link to the Microsoft’s OneNote app in iTunes, which is available for free, though only for a limited time.

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Moments ago, Facebook began to send out invites to a “Mobile Event” scheduled for November 3rd at the company’s headquarters. Back in September, TechCrunch and Business Insider both reported that the social networking behemoth was developing their own handset with deep Facebook integration. Will we see the rumored device come to fruition on Wednesday? Perhaps a more feature rich mobile application? We’ll just have to wait and find out.

We’ve just been tipped by one of our Verizon ninjas that VZW will be launching a new service called Mobile Recovery, for smartphones, starting tomorrow. Mobile Recovery will provide several functions, including:

• Device location using GPS
• Sound alarms
• Remote device lock
• Remote device wipe

The option will be a free add-on for those customers who subscribe to a Total Equipment Coverage (TEC) plan and have an Android, Windows Mobile, webOS, or BlackBerry device. We’ve also been told that: “Once enrolled in TEC, which is complete coverage against loss, theft, accidental damage and defects after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, customers can visit www.MyMobileRecovery.com to download the Mobile Recovery application, or text getmr to 6967 for download instructions.”

We have a couple quick Microsoft tidbits here. Today, Microsoft announced that the official Bing mobile application for Android is available to all Verizon customers. If you have a Verizon Android device, and don’t like the ease-of-use and integration that is provided with Google, you can run on over to the Android Market and download Bing. You’ll also be thrilled to know that Bing for Android will be coming pre-installed on future Verizon Android devices. Joy.

Also, as a follow-up to a previous post… ActiveSync for Hotmail is now live. If you have a device that supports the ActiveSync protocol, and would like push email, calendars, and contacts, hit the read link to see how to configure the new hotness on your device.

Read [Bing] Read [Hotmail]

Today, Vonage announced the Vonage Mobile application for Facebook. The new app will allow users to, “make free mobile calls to all of their Facebook friends who [also] have the app [installed], anywhere in the world, directly from their friends list, with a single touch.” The application is currently available for the Android and iPhone platforms, works on Wi-Fi as well as 3G/4G, and — obviously — requires a Facebook account. The Vonage Mobile app will automatically import and categorize your Facebook friends-list by who is available for voice calls versus text chat. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Vonage Gives Facebook Users a Voice

New Mobile Application Provides Free, One-Touch Calling For Facebook Users Worldwide

HOLMDEL, N.J., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of high-quality voice and messaging services over broadband networks, today introduced the Vonage Mobile application for Facebook. This new service allows users to make free mobile calls to all of their Facebook friends who have the app, anywhere in the world, directly from their friends list, with a single touch.

The downloadable application is free to get and free to use. The new service enhances the ability to connect with Facebook friends through the addition of voice calling. It is available for iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices. And the service works over Wi-Fi and 3G /4G networks in most countries.

The new service is easy to use. The app works with a user’s existing community of Facebook friends, so there’s no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. The application eliminates dialing – users can just click on a friend and start talking. When placing a call, the friend’s profile picture and status update display on the screen.

“The Vonage Mobile app for Facebook is a tangible example of our commitment to deliver extraordinary value and a better communications experience for individuals and their social networks, across broadband-enabled devices, around the world,” said Marc Lefar, Chief Executive Officer of Vonage Holdings Corp. “This is just the start. In the future we will expand on this service to include a wide range of integrated voice and messaging services that change the way people communicate.”

How does the Vonage Mobile Application for Facebook work?
The Vonage Mobile application is simple. It’s simple to download, and so simple to use that we have eliminated the need for dialing altogether. To get started, the user:

• Downloads the app from the iTunes Store, Android Market, the Vonage fan page on Facebook or vonage.com/talkfree.
• Enters Facebook ID and password (one time only).
• iews Facebook contacts after they are automatically loaded. They’ll be grouped by friends who can be called for free and friends available for instant messaging on Facebook. A Vonage logo will appear next to the names of friends who have downloaded the app.
• Invites additional Facebook friends to get the app at the Vonage Fan Page on Facebook or vonage.com/talkfree.
• Touches a friend’s name from the Call Free list to make a free call anywhere in the world; no need to be online.
• Rings the phone for incoming calls, even if the application is closed.

This new service continues Vonage’s commitment to be the leader in low-cost communication services that connect individuals and social networks through any broadband device, worldwide. The application can be downloaded from the Android Market in 48 countries and from the iTunes Store in 87 countries. Users who don’t have an unlimited data plan should check with their carrier to see if any charges apply.

To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage.

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Apple is on a shopping spree, scooping up everything from chip manufacturers to personal mobile assistants. Several days ago, an FTC filing revealed that Apple is acquiring Siri, creator of a mobile application that serves as your personal search assistant. Similar to Android’s voice search, Siri allows you to ask it a question like “nearest gas station” and it will provide a personal, localized answer. The key to the service is its voice recognition and its vast array of back-end APIs that include Yahoo Local, Yelp, Flightsats, WeatherBug, and more. No word on what Apple intends to do with this newly acquired property, but the possibility of a personal concierge on an iPhone or iPad is quite appealing.

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