The apps we use can tell us a lot about ourselves. Are we gamers, productivity fiends, or social media junkies? Distimo has released their latest quarterly numbers about the top apps, and it says a lot about how we use our phones. Turns out we like distractions.
The top free apps from the Play Store are dominated by social activity. Facebook once again reigns supreme, but has company at the top. Claiming the top spot, Facebook’s own messenger claims the number three spot. In second is the runaway hit WhatsApp, proving that we’re interested in keeping in contact with one another — so long as it’s free. In the fourth spot is the maddeningly fun Candy Crush Saga, which we’ll see a lot of in this article. Fifth place was a bit of a surprise, as Clean Master (Cleaner), a cache cleaning app, shows up ahead of so many other apps we discuss.
When we get down to paid apps, the list gets a bit more variety. Minecraft Pocket Edition takes the top spot, which is really no surprise for us. Second place went to SwiftKey Keyboard, which could have been in the number one paid app spot — again, no surprise. Music player PowerAmp is the third most purchased app according to Distimo, While Titanium Backup Pro and Nova Launcher round out the top five.
Free and paid don’t tell the whole story, though. When it comes to the top grossing apps, things change a bit. All of the top five grossing apps are games, and dominated by a new favorite. The top grossing app for January was Clash of Clans, which was followed by Candy Crush Saga. An Asian puzzle game lands in the number three spot, likely due to its popularity overseas. The fourth spot goes to LINE Pokopang, a flashy puzzle game. Rounding out the top five is Hay Day, a farming simulator.
From root apps to messaging, the apps we use run the gamut. I’m addicted to Clash of Clans, so I’m not surprised it’s there. SwiftKey is an interesting one, as we didn’t think it would continue it’s spot on these lists having been out so long. It’s also important to remember that as Google apps like YouTube or Gmail now come standard on devices, they won’t show up on this list — these are for third party apps only. One thing we did find interesting was that when it comes to messaging, we’re still addicted to Facebook.
I have the top four free apps and number two on the paid apps list.