Curious what a “super app” is? So were we. It seems they’re here to take over, and lead the charge into a new age. In what is being described as “Mobile 3.0”, super apps are the new king. It’s an interesting concept, and the info graphics shed some light on an interesting trend for mobile, especially outside of the US.
According to a company called MEF, Mobile 1.0 purchases were simple ringtones and wallpapers. Of course, at the time, there wasn’t much more we could do with our phones. As devices became more powerful and useful, Mobile 2.0 brought us apps and games. Now that we’ve got computers in our pockets, Mobile 3.0 is offering up “super apps”, which are those that require subscriptions. According to their metrics, we’re increasingly giving way to subscription apps like Netflix or Play Music instead of buying stuff piecemeal.
Almost like an evolutionary chart of mobile, MEF’s infographics do have some interesting points to make. It samples 10,000 folks from 13 different countries, and shows that while overall spending on mobile content has waned in the US, elsewhere it’s alive and well. That is attributable to our accessibility to services like Netflix, but it can also be taken that those in other countries are equally interested in having access when considering spending.
In the US, it seems our preference is ease. We were the only country that downloaded content due to convenience over entertainment value. We also spent the least on apps, but that gets back to the point about “super apps”, which don’t require purchase, but do ask that we pay subscription fees outside of the app itself.
Interesting metrics for us here stateside, but also show interesting growth trends outside of the US. Kenya, for instance, is reported as spending the most on apps and goods, and resides in the expanding African market. We’d like to think that, in 7 years’ time, they’ll be enjoying “super apps” while another country is nipping at their heels. Then again, we’re a bit scared to ask what is beyond super apps.
VIA: Phone Arena
