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iPhone Owners in US Spent $40 Each on Apps in 2016 (cnet.com)
Zoey Chong, writing for CNET: iPhone users in the US are spending more and more on apps and in-app purchases. Spending climbed to an average of $40 per person last year, according to research released Monday by Sensor Tower. This is up from $35 in 2015. Gaming continued to lead the way, accounting for more than 80 percent of Apple App Store revenue in the US. Spending in that category increased from $25 on average per person in 2015 to $27 last year. This may not be the biggest surprise, given that 2016 witnessed the rise of Pokemon Go, which crossed $1 billion in revenue worldwide last month.
Mine too. when I got my iphone, I spent a decent amount lining up the apps I wanted. Since then, though, I've spent nothing.
I don't do IAP.
SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
Not to turn in Captain Killjoy Statistics Man, but this is a prime use-case for comparing mean vs median vs mode. What if the vast majority of folks spend $0, but there's a few Clash and Clans and Pokemon Go whales out there skewing everything? Recently, we saw how few people actually paid for Super Mario Run (something like 10%?) Seeing the median value as compared to the mean would go a long way to describing the actual spending habits of iPhone users, rather than this semi-meaningless statistic. (Except that it shows Apple makes a large amount of money)
I thought $40 on average seemed about right, given the explosion of in-app purchases for not just games, but apps like HBO... (don't forget the AppleTV is an IOS device). I myself probably spent more like $200 last year on iOS app store purchase (which include subscription to HBO for a few months).
However look at the other responses here, proclaiming how proud they are to have spent $0! Is there any wonder why Android continues to be a second tier when it comes to app development? It makes you question if there is any use at all in ever developing an app for Android if what you get out of it is to be anything but breadth of exposure.
I myself am proud to spend money on apps and help support a sustainable app ecosystem where I will see real improvements to apps because people are willing to spend money...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Who the fuck spends $40 on apps?
Yeah. That's really stupid paying that much money for Apps.
Now how much was my phone contract for the year again????
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
Is that really something to be proud of, though? You spent $500+ on an iPhone, and then rejoice in not paying anything for the software you use daily?
This current environment of ad-supported nonsense is why smartphone games are such poor games (and such good Skinner boxes). And I fear studies like this just further adds to the stereotype that smartphone owners are cheap bastards.
My grand total of app expenditures for all of 2016 was ZERO.
If I find a free app useful, or if it's something I find myself playing again and again, I will usually make an in-app purchase of some sort - just to support the developer.
#DeleteChrome
one of my kids is always asking me to buy him gems and crap for PvZ or some other IAP game and that's about how much I spend a year on that crap
for apps i'll buy $10 or so worth of games once a year i'll never play
Since "analysts" keep claiming that phone are replacing consoles and desktops for gaming, let's look at this from a business perspective. That is equivalent to a single video game purchase on another platform. That is virtually nothing at all in comparison to other platforms right now.
I've definitely gone entire years spending nothing on apps for my iPhone, but other times I've spent considerably more -- especially when said apps work on both my iPhone and my iPad Pro.
When I got the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for it, it created a new need for apps that take advantage of the pencil's functionality. That was a good reason to buy 1 or 2 of the apps priced at around $10 each that are optimized for it. (For example, it opens up some new capabilities if you can easily fill out PDF forms with the pencil, including initialing or signing pages.)
I know a lot of of kids and teens use their iPhone as an alternative to the dedicated portable gaming consoles too, so obviously, they're going to sink some money into games for it. $40 a year is probably a lot less than they used to spend for games for a PSP, GameBoy or what-not.
Unless you're a developer. In which case, you'll soon be moving to the Apple App Store.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Don't believe this. Look around you, see who has an iPhone and ask them how much they spent on apps last year. Very likely $0.
Which would imply that this could still be true if there are a very small percentage of people (who you are unlikely to run into) who spend WAY more than $40 a year on apps. Your sample size is statistically insignificant. Fake news != I never saw a rare event happen in my own life with my own eyes or to any of those I personally know.
Yeah! Fuck developers! I deserve all the useful apps I can get for free because nobody else deserves food or convenience!
NOW WHERE'S MY UPDATES, YOU LAZY JERKS? I PAID NOTHING AND I EXPECT THIS APP TO BE REFRESHED DAILY
$40 sounds about right to me.
I will often buy apps even just to try them out. It's worth the couple bucks to not have ads and the ad-related malware exposure (not that I know of anyone using the mobile ad network to spread malware, but it seem to me that it probably hasn't been overlooked by the criminals).
That said, though, I don't think I spent more than $40 (if that) last year.
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
You probably bought it through the web so they do not get any of that. But users can purchase a lot of sports app subscriptions through apps, which Apple does get part of.
I bought my HBO subscription through the app, since that way HBO never gets any payment info form me, and I have to deal with zero humans or terrible billing interfaces to cancel - I just stop the app subscription.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
GDC conference sessions from 2016 recorded on youtube document rates of mobile game payments. They talk about less than 4% of game users spending over a thousand dollars each a year. While not all mobile games are on iphones, I could see this kind of subset really distorting the "per user" spend, and obscuring a secondary subset like how much is spent on non-game iphone apps.
The headline (and original report) seem open to misinterpretation.
50% of mobile game revenue comes from just 0.15% of users according to this 2014 report. http://www.recode.net/2014/2/2...
70% of mobile game revenue comes from just 10% of users according to this 2016 report. http://www.adweek.com/digital/...
So while I believe the article that the average amount spent per iPhone is $40/year (mean), it's probably equally true that the "average iPhone user" (median) spends less than $5/year. (That number is just a guess because I don't have the data.) Queue all the people who will reply to this story saying "I spent ZERO over the past year".
You aren't taking into consideration that Android OS covers the most cheap bare bones phones/tables/etc to the comparable galaxy/etc devices.
That is irrelevant - they are not the Android devices Slashdot readers would be using. What I am saying is a sampling of high-end Android users here shows DELIGHT in not paying for apps. And that plainly shows in continued low purchase rates for apps on Android compared to iOS.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
There are plenty of free apps, but I often avoid them for a couple reasons: They have ads (I refuse to use an app that shows ads) and I like to support the developer.
SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
$270. Project-Fi with 2 - 3GB of data used outside of WiFi.
Me too, and the family for three I-Phones and 2 I-Pads for a total of 5 I-devices... We don't buy apps...
SOMEBODY must be spending a lot on this junk if the average it $40/phone...
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Because there is no central place where one must get Android apps, we will never know.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
There are Lies, damn lies and statistics you know.. I'm sure Apple isn't going to share the actual statistics here...
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
That's the idea. 2% of users fund 70% of IAP gross, or whatever it is. 80% spend absolutely zero. Asspull numbers, but the idea is in line. That's not the important part anyway.
What's important is you fly a technically-factual headline to inflate the idea that "$40/yr is normal" and encourage it to catch on.
OmniFocus is $40 alone (and to me worth every penny). Evernote is $5 a month if you pay for it monthly through IAP. If you use your phone for business stuff, it's pretty easy to drop $40 a year.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Wait, do you not have to buy hardware to develop these other pieces of software on? Do they magically run without hardware?
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Of the few posts I saw that showed DELIGHT at not paying for apps none of them identified what phone they are using.
Come on. Do you even READ Slashdot? We already know what phone they use.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
There's very few people spending a whole lotta money on apps: Only 5% of users actually "pay" for apps.
Granted these statistics are a couple years old, but I've not spent a penny on apps - ever. and reading though these posts it sounds like everyone is a bit confused on who actually breaks out the pocket book for apps.
https://www.appboy.com/blog/in...
I haven't even spent a dime on Pokemon Go and I play it daily.
So since you are so fond of it, would you like to see MORE of it, or LESS?
Would you like to see it improved at all?
By not spending any money, you are in effect saying "This game I really love, I sure hope they never improve it or keep up with system updates! Maybe someday it will be so behind I'll have to stop playing!".
I also really liked PokemonGo. I was fine not paying for anything myself, I never felt the need to - but I still spent $5 or so on Pokecoins just to support the company, to say "Thanks for the enjoyment I've had playing this game".
My Philosophy is simple, if I see something I really like I try to support the creators by any means possible.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Perhaps I'm just not representative of a typical user. I don't use my phone for gaming and all the apps that I use on a regular basis are free. That includes things like google maps and Wayz for navigation, the stock mail client, the stock browser, the various apps to manage my frequent flier and other travel tools, etc.
I think there are a lot of folks that fit that description so I'm frankly rather surprised that this number is even that large.
Each implies that everyone spent something, at least $40. Average would be more accurate in that the total spent divided by the number of users is $40.
I think Steam users spend 5x that on average.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Does this take account of ad ridden free apps. Certainly those seem generate money too. I myself have spemy roughly 40 bucks on Android apps or the past 5 years. I tend not to pack my devices with apps I'll only use once. I've even bought Palm and Window Mobile apps.
Sure, if you want to sell that $2 fart app.
But if you want to develop a useful application, which others will continue to improve, you will stick to open source development for Android.
How much did you pay for your text editor? Web browser? PDF reader? And you want me to pay for your fart app I wouldn't use even for free?
You can develop for Android just fine on any Linux/Windows/Mac PC, which is what 99.9% of developers are using.
You can develop for iOS only if you are one of the ~10% or so with a Mac.
Oh man are you going to be pissed when you find out how much I spend on my desktop OS and Office suite....
Is that really something to be proud of, though? You spent $500+ on an iPhone, and then rejoice in not paying anything for the software you use daily?
Most of the software you use daily is included in that initial outlay for the phone (phone app, camera app, etc). As far as software like Pokemon Go what do you want him/her to do? It's free.
I started putting on free aps, never bought any apps because pretty much, I never really much used the free apps and ending up deleting them all, except government provided ones, local, state and federal (don't use those much either except when I actually need to). When it comes to mobile content, I simple went with a phone that allowed large added storage and built up a library of content to dump on the phone, done and finished (more than enough for when moving about).
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Given that it's the highest revenue source, seems like a smart idea.
Also, on a Mac, you can run Windows, Linux *and* MacOS all at the same time.
Seems liike the most versatile and most economically smart decision.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Interesting, iPhone developers spent $100; whereas Android developers spent $25. Amazing?
Yeah, same. Apple Notes is now 90% of what I'd want Evernote for, and I use DEVONthink for the rest. I still know people who live in Evernote world though, probably because they have years' worth of data in it and don't want to bother migrating. I don't quite get it, but it must be worthwhile to them.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
The vast majority of Android phones and tablets sold in the United States come with Google Play Store and with "Unknown sources" turned off. So "How much was spent on Google Play Store for apps and IAPs per unique Google Play Store user?" becomes a valid question.
While I'm sure you are right that it is not what they mean, it most definitely is what they said. They said "each" without qualifying it with "average", and as such have said something that at best is simply factually false, and at worst just plain confusing.
For example, while it's true that there is an average of approximately one human testicle per human being, it is ludicrous to think that each human has one testicle.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
I understand if you're a kid or teen and jobless and your parents are on a budget, but as an adult likely earning decent money working in the tech industry
Even if so, someone living in a developing country will still feel the effects of the country's currency being undervalued compared to the United States dollar or the euro.
[Buying a Mac instead of another computer] Seems liike the most versatile and most economically smart decision.
Unless you rely on sharing a computer with someone else in the household, such as a college student not living on campus. In this case, the computer you already have is $0, while the Mac is $599+.
How do developers of applications on F-Droid fund the food in their families' stomachs or the roof over their families' heads? Or do developers of applications on F-Droid tend strongly to be hobbyists instead of professionals?
Personally, I wish there was an option in the Play Store to only display apps that cost money. I have no problem paying a few dollars for an app or a game that I will like. I do have a problem with 'free' apps/games that are obviously anything but free once you try to actually use or play them.
I like also using the Amazon Android app store. They have some of the same games, but they also have rotating set of 'free' games that are usually priced non-zero, including some 'microtransaction games' where the IAP items are designated as 'free' for your copy, if you get it through their app store.
Foreflight.
You can always find out who makes it and make a donation.... :)
How do developers of applications on F-Droid fund the food in their families' stomachs or the roof over their families' heads?
I expect most of them have lucrative part time gigs as musicians.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the median was zero
I would, as it would mean that there were people "spending" negative amounts somehow.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
I get the free apps. However, some of them track you and have ads. :(
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
The only idevice we have in our home is an ipad. If I need an app I specifically look for one that costs something because the free stuff is mostly in-app purchase nonsense. I don't think it is a big deal to throw a developer 6 or 7 bucks if they provide me with something that is not constantly nagging me or trying to trick me into buying something.
My son downloaded Monster Legends. Looks like a fun game right? And its free. Total in-app purchase low value piece of shit. Always wanting you to buy gems and other such nonsense. You could spend hundreds of dollars on that stupid game if you had no sense. Compare that to traditional games $30-60 one time purchase and then play to your hearts content.
Oh no, an edge case!
And you won't make any money on your app if it's not in Apple's store, so who cares?
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Given that it's the highest revenue source, seems like a smart idea.
To begin with most developers don't develop mobile phone applications.
Then what you don't get is that most of these apps are free, therefore are not driven by potential sales.
The most popular and most useful applications, by a wide margin, are all free.
Also, on a Mac, you can run Windows, Linux *and* MacOS all at the same time.
Seems liike the most versatile and most economically smart decision.
Or you can just forget about iOS and loose only about 15% of the market while having one less platform to develop on. Even smarter.
Or you can just forget about iOS and loose only about 15% of the market
Is iOS 15 percent of the market by user count, or is it 15 percent of the market by revenue? There's a big difference. Assume for the moment that the mean iOS user spends $40 per year on apps, while the mean Android user spends $5 per year. Then 15 percent of the market by user count represents a 15 * 40 / (15 * 40 + 85 * 5) * 100 = 59 percent of the market by revenue.
That's the idea. 2% of users fund 70% of IAP gross, or whatever it is. 80% spend absolutely zero. Asspull numbers, but the idea is in line. That's not the important part anyway.
What's important is you fly a technically-factual headline to inflate the idea that "$40/yr is normal" and encourage it to catch on.
Interesting how that works, no?
How you made the jump from "I've spent $0 on apps..." to "fuck developers" is beyond me. Triggered?
Says the guy that typed "your's". "Your is is a special breed of stupid..."? Nice.