Mobile+Apps

** MOBILE APPS **
A mobile app is a software program that can be downloaded and accessed directly using a phone or other mobile device like a tablet or music player. To download and use apps, a smart phone or another mobile device with internet access is required. A smartphone has the processing power to run many different types of programs, from games, to productivity tools, to live TV streams, and travel guides. Not all apps work on all mobile devices. A specific device with a particular operating system is needed and the user is committed to using that operating system and the type of apps that are written for it. The Android, Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry mobile operating systems have app stores online where users can look for, download, and install apps. Some online retailers also offer app stores. The user can only use an app store that includes software compatible with the device’s operating system. To set up an account, the user needs a credit card number, especially if the user is going to download an app that is not free. There are hundreds of thousands of apps available, however, finding the right one can be difficult as the quality of the apps varies widely and new apps are released every day. Mobile apps also can enable users to chat with other users worldwide and create mobile video.

Mobile apps have achieved some astonishing accomplishments that are hard to ignore. According to the statistics in the New York and Atlanta, PRNewswire, dated December 2, 2011, the total number of individual mobile apps in the marketplace has approached a major milestone, recently hitting the 1 million mark. 1 This is according to [|Mobilewalla], the search, discovery and analytics engine that tracks apps in real time. Recently the app count rose to 987,863 across all four platforms. An average of 2,000 apps enter the marketplace each day (with numbers higher at end of year for holiday rush). In the last 12 months, Apple apps grew from 338,000 to 589,148. Similarly Android apps went from 115,000 to 319,774. This data can be followed on Twitter at #millionmobileapps. Below is the current breakdown for mobile apps on the major, smartphone operating systems:


 * < **Platform** || **Total** ||> **Percentage of Total** ||
 * **Apple** || **590,138** || **59.95%** ||
 * **Android** || **320,315** || **32.54%** ||
 * **Blackberry** || **43,544** || **4.42%** ||
 * **Windows** || **35,479** || **3.60%** ||

1. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobile-apps-approaching-major-milestone-of-1-million-apps-in-marketplace-mobilewalla-134891433.html