In case you were wondering if people were still downloading apps and buying in-app purchases, wonder no more. This is still very much a billion dollar industry, according to the latest report released by Sensor Tower with its Store Intelligence data, both for the last quarter of 2016 and 2016 over-all. Messaging apps also continue to dominate the list of most downloads non-game apps, both for downloads itself and for revenue.
Both the App Store and Google Play grew by 67% in terms of Q4 numbers, as compared to the same period last year. On its own, Google Play actually grew by 82% in terms of revenue that they paid out to developers, with $3.3 billion this year compared to the $1.8 billion from Q4 2015. All in all, around $8.7 billion revenue was earned in the last quarter of 2016. Even when it comes to new downloads, numbers are still up with around 19.2 billion for Q4 and 80 billion for the entire 2016, up 17% compared to 2015, at least for the last quarter.
When it comes to actual non-game apps, the top Q4 2016 apps look pretty much the same as the over-all year-end list. By downloads (both overall and in Google Play itself), messaging apps continued to dominate, but Facebook is still number one of course. WhatsApp, Messenger, and Snapchat were in the top 5, with Instagram also include in the list. By revenue, Spotify is top dog over-all but for Google Play, it didn’t even figure in the top 10. LINE took top place with Tinder, Pandora, HBO Now, and LINE Manga rounding out the top 5.
The Q4 apps, both in downloads and revenues, are basically the same, with just some interchanging positions, and Netflix making an appearance in the Google Play list. Sensor Tower said they will next release the state of mobile games in 2016.
SOURCE: Sensor Tower
