Smartphones used for apps more than calls or texts

 

Survey shows Britain loves its apps - especially the free ones!

According to new research published to coincide with The Sunday Times Apps List 2012, the majority of smartphone and tablet users think apps have made their lives better.

In fact, over half say they use their mobile for apps more than any other purpose, such as emailing, texting or making phone calls. The study also found half of the UK population now owns a smartphone.

Last year, more than a million different apps were available to purchase or download for free, through Apple’s App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod devices, or the Android Market for handsets running Google’s operating system.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the vast majority of apps people download are free. In the final week of 2011 there were 81 million downloads in the UK, almost 80% of which cost nothing.

The Sunday Times survey, conducted online by Opinion Matters, found that the average smartphone owner in Britain keeps around 38 apps on their device. Over half of users download new ones at least once a week.

An app is a small piece of software, usually designed by a third-party organisation, specifically designed for use on a smartphone or tablet, such as an Apple iPhone or iPad. The many types of app range from interactive maps and entertainment guides to photography tools and games.

With a combined 500 million downloads, quirky puzzle game Angry Birds is by far one of the largest mobile app successes the world has seen so far.

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