Mikey Campbell
In a report released on Wednesday, mobile app marketing research firm Fiksu found that the launch of the iPhone 4S greatly impacted the volume of downloaded apps, boosting year-to-year numbers in November by 83 percent.
Fiksu's App Store Competitive Index, which tracks the aggregate volume of downloads for the Top 200 ranked free iPhone apps in the U.S., soared to a record 5.65 million downloads per day in November and marked the first time the index rose above 5 million. The new all-time high represents a 15 percent increase from the previous record of 4.91 million daily downloads set in October when Apple's latest iPhone 4S debuted.
The firm says the uptick was expected as device launches bring high interest from new owners, noting that their "appetite for app discovery and engagement is strong."
Demand for Apple's newest handset, which remained strong a month after its release on Oct. 14 with numerous Apple Stores seeing stock-outs, undoubtedly played a role in the swelling tide of daily downloads. Another key factor in November's continued growth was the rapid adoption of iOS 5 and its subsequent app updates.
App Store Competetive Index | Source: Fiksu
While the App Store Competitive Index illustrated the increase of app downloads, the Cost per Loyal User Index revealed that app marketing teams have become increasingly shrewd in their ad spending.
In November, brands that market their apps spent an average of $1.43 to acquire a "loyal user," who are defined as people who open an app three times or more. The price per loyal user saw a steady decline in September and October with costs standing at $1.64 and $1.47, respectively.
Cost per Loyal User Index | Source: Fiksu
Fiksu expects that download numbers will only rise in December to reflect a record-setting Christmas day that saw 6.8 million new iOS and Android device activations.
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
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Wesley Hilliard
9 Comments
These app store holiday sales are ravenous. Can't...stop....buying.
Maybe that 64GB iPad isn't such overkill.
My apps are up about 150%
Maybe that 64GB iPad isn't such overkill.
I'm glad now I sprang for the 64GB for my wife's Christmas pressie!
i'm going to go iTunes Match next year which will recoup about 7GB of storage on both my phone and iPad.
This can't be true.
According to the pundits here, no one is buying the iPhone 4S. Everyone who wants an iPhone already has an iPhone 4 and is thus locked into a two-year contract. Besides, despite the fact that everything inside the handset has been upgraded (apart from the Retina Display), the iPhone 4S is a disappointing follower to the iPhone 4.
It's inconceivable that the iPhone 4S would actually break iPhone 4 sales records.
Only an idiot would buy the iPhone 4S, rather than wait for the iPhone 5.