Black Web 2010 Year in Review: Mobile/Apps
1. Apple iPad
April 3rd 2010, Apple released its much heralded iPad in the US. After numerous jokes about its name and inevitable comparisons to feminine hygiene products subsided, the iPad promptly quieted naysayers and sold 300,000 on its first day and 3 million in 80 days. The device gained a 96% share of tablet PC sales by the end of the second quarter of 2010. Developers and publishers flocked to create apps exclusively for the device and with the release of iOS 4, it now boasts multi-tasking and a whole host of other features. It is on its way to replacing the notebook computer and is at the top of just about everyone’s Christmas list, including Oprah. The Queen of Talk has openly proclaimed her love for the tablet and even branded it one of her ‘favorite things’, handing them out to her studio audience.
2. Android OS
Move over iOS, there’s a new player on the scene. Google’s Android operating system has been creeping up on iOS for the last year and is poised to take over. With a staggering number of devices running it, a new release (Gingerbread), a growing marketplace for apps and the first tablets hitting the market, Android is now a legitimate force to be reckoned with on the mobile scene. The fanboys are firmly planted in their corners and no one is ready to throw in the towel — Apple and iOS fans are famously loyal. But, iOS is no longer the only game in town. The winners of course, are consumers, who now have a legitimate choice between two OS when deciding what mobile device will work best for them.
3. Apps
Yes Apps! Or the mobile app market rather. No matter what platform you are on, to enhance your mobile experience, you need apps. A recent report by the International Data Corporation predicted that the number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow from 10.9 billion in 2010 to 76.9 billion by 2014 with revenues set to surpass $35 billion. That’s BILLION. With the number of barriers to app development falling and multiple new platforms making it easier for your average engineer to release applications, the trend seems to be continuing. 24% of the US adult population use apps and average about 18 apps on each device alone. More for nerds; my devices combined (iPhone4, iPad, Samsung GalaxyS) triples that easily. Don’t expect this number to go down anytime soon. The Android app market is growing and as of October, the number of apps in the Apple app store hit 300,000.
4. 4G
It represents the next wave of wireless networking standards and will allow mobile to truly compete with desktop broadband speeds. Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all boast their own versions of 4G. With increasing numbers on just how many consumers are accessing the mobile web, it begs the question: “Will you even bother to access the web at home anymore?”. You might, but with faster speeds, mobile users will be able to do more — faster. It bodes well for the growing mobile market. With social media, location based and videos played via mobile devices all showing huge increases this past year, faster networks will be necessary — and welcome to accommodate the surge in traffic.
5. HTML5
Believe it or not, it IS the future and will change the way that everyone sees and accesses the Web. Especially those accessing it from mobile devices. HTML5 will allow developers and engineers to develop once and iterate often and could very well make native app development a thing of the past. Or so says its biggest fans who include Steve Jobs, the folks at Google, and most recently, the creators of the popular iPad app Flipboard. It will bring the barrier to mobile development (not to mention the cost) down significantly. With a major push from Apple and browsers like Chrome and FireFox rushing to be able to accommodate the new tags, HTML is being hailed as the next big thing even before the spec has been finalized.
6. Location-based services
Location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Rummble and others entering this popular and lucrative market have allowed mobile users who are always on the go to broadcast their whereabouts to — well, just about everyone. Foursquare alone increased its user-base to 5 million — up from 200,000 in 2009. Check-ins are popular on Twitter, FaceBook and just about every social network. Brands have jumped on the bandwagon by rewarding customers for their reviews and check-ins as well. The market is on track to rake in $12.7 billion by 2014 according to Juniper Research.
7. Angry Birds
The popular game which got its start on iOS, was quickly adapted for the Android platform and will soon hit the web. Who would have thought that a simple game whose main premise is to shoot birds at pigs hidden in basic structures with the sole intent of knocking them over would be so popular? Certainly not the guys at Rovio, a small mobile development firm in Finland who released the game. So far, it has spawned clones and has remained at the top of Apple’s top paid app list for almost a year now. Millions of downloads and millions of hours of game play has propelled this highly addictive game into a bona-fide cultural phenomenon. And we can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
8. Ecommerce
While some shoppers braved long lines, tired sales people and crowded stores on Black Friday, mobile-savvy shoppers whipped out their phones and let their fingers do the talking. Check out this map [http://www.ebayinc.com/mobilecommerce] documenting eBay’s mobile commerce sales. On Black Friday, the popular online retailer’s mobile sales hit $2,352,298. And by December 12, they’d toped $4 million. PayPal recently reported that holiday mobile payments are up 300%. If that’s any indication, consumers are taking to mobile shopping in remarkable numbers. The number of shopping apps is also increasing across all platforms. Apps now allow consumers to track and compare products, find the best prices and make purchases. No cranky salespeople necessary.
9. Smart phones
The more the merrier. With the battle of the OS’s raging on, manufacturers have started their own race. The days of the big-as-a-brick smartphone are long gone. Smart phones are smaller, faster, cooler, and smarter than they have ever been. 77 million smart phones were shipped in the fall of 2010. The question isn’t who has a smart phone, but who doesn’t? That question will be answered in the coming year with more manufacturers rushing to flood the market with more phones that do more that we’ve ever.
10. Jobs
Everyone is jumping on the mobile development bandwagon. Promises of riches aren’t the only reason why traditional developers are getting into the mobile arena. They are fueled by companies ramping up their mobile offerings and scrambling to find specialists in the field. A quick survey of job sites will reveal that while engineers are in demand, so are mobile specific UX specialists and product managers. As the field grows, expect more jobs to open up.
1. Apple iPad
April 3rd 2010, Apple released its much heralded iPad in the US. After jokes about its name and inevitable comparisons to feminine hygiene products subsided, the iPad promptly quieted naysayers and sold 300,000 on its first day and 3 million in 80 days. The device gained a 96% share of tablet PC sales by the end of the second quarter of 2010. Developers and publishers flocked to create apps just for the device and with the release of iOS 4, it now boasts multi-tasking and a whole host of other features. It is on its way to replacing the notebook computer and is at the top of just about everyone’s Christmas list — including Oprah. The Queen of talk has openly proclaimed her love for the tablet and even branded if one of her ‘favorite things’ by handing them out to her studio audience.
2. Android OS
Move over iOS, there’s a new player on the scene. Google’s Android operating system has been creeping up on iOS for the last year and is poised to take over. With a staggering number of devices running it, a new release (Gingerbread), a growing marketplace for apps and the first tablets hitting the market, Android is now a legitimate force to be reckoned with on the mobile scene. The fan boys are firmly planted in their corners and no one is ready to throw in the towel — Apple and iOS fans are famously loyal. But, iOS is no longer the only game in town. The winners of course, are consumers, who now have a legitimate choice between two OS’s when deciding what mobile device will work best for them.
3. Apps
Yes Apps! Or the mobile app market rather. No matter what platform you are on, to enhance your mobile experience, you need apps. A recent report by the International Data Corporation predicted that the number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow from 10.9 billion in 2010 to 76.9 billion by 2014 with revenues set to surpass $35 billion. That’s BILLION. With the number of barriers to app development falling and multiple new platforms making it easier for your average engineer to release applications, the trend seems to be continuing. 24% of the US adult population use apps and average about 18 apps on each device alone. More for nerds; my devices combined (iPhone4, iPad, Samsung GalaxyS) triples that easily. Don’t expect this number to go down anytime soon. The Android app market is growing and as of October, the number of apps in the Apple app store hit 300,000.
4. 4G
It represents the next wave of wireless networking standards and will allow mobile to truly compete with desktop broadband speeds. Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all boast their own versions of 4G. With increasing numbers on just how many consumers are accessing the mobile web, it begs the question: “Will you even bother to access the web at home anymore?”. You might, but with faster speeds, mobile users will be able to do more — faster. It bodes well for the growing mobile market. With social media, location based and videos played via mobile devices all showing huge increases this past year, faster networks will be necessary — and welcome to accommodate the surge in traffic.
5. HTML5
Believe it or not, it IS the future and will change the way that everyone experiences the Web, especially those accessing it from mobile devices. HTML5 will allow developers and engineers to develop once and iterate often and could very well make native app development a thing of the past. At least that’s what its biggest fans who include Steve Jobs, the folks at Google, and most recently, the creators of the popular iPad app Flipboard say. It will bring the barrier to mobile development (not to mention the cost) down significantly. With a major push from Apple and browsers like Chrome and FireFox rushing to be able to accommodate the new tags, HTML is being hailed as the next big thing even before the spec has been finalized.
6. Location-based services
Location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Rummble and others entering this popular and lucrative market have allowed mobile users who are always on the go to broadcast their whereabouts to — well, just about everyone. Foursquare alone increased its user-base to 5 million — up from 200,000 in 2009. Check-ins are popular on Twitter, Facebook and just about every social network. Brands have jumped on the bandwagon by rewarding customers for their reviews and check-ins as well. The market is on track to rake in $12.7 billion by 2014 according to Juniper Research.
7. Angry Birds
The popular game which got its start on iOS, was quickly adapted for the Android platform and will soon hit the web. Who would have thought that a simple game whose main premise is to shoot birds at pigs hidden in basic structures with the sole intent of knocking them over would be so popular? Certainly not the guys at Rovio, a small mobile development firm in Finland who released the game. So far, it has spawned clones and has remained at the top of Apple’s top paid app list for almost a year now. Millions of downloads and millions of hours of game play has propelled this highly addictive game into a bona-fide cultural phenomenon. And we can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
8. E-commerce
While some shoppers braved long lines, tired sales people and crowded stores on Black Friday, mobile-savvy shoppers whipped out their phones and let their fingers do the talking. Check out this map documenting eBay’s mobile commerce sales. On Black Friday, the popular online retailer’s mobile sales hit $2,352,298. And by December 12, they’d topped $4 million. PayPal recently reported that holiday mobile payments are up 300%. If that’s any indication, consumers are taking to mobile shopping in remarkable numbers. The number of shopping apps is also increasing across all platforms. Apps now allow consumers to track and compare products, find the best prices and make purchases. No cranky salespeople necessary.
9. Smartphones
The more the merrier. With the battle of the OS’s raging on, manufacturers have started their own race. The days of the brick-reminiscent smartphone are long gone. Smartphones are smaller, faster, cooler, and smarter than they have ever been. 77 million smart phones were shipped in the fall of 2010. The question isn’t who has a smart phone, but who doesn’t? That question will be answered in the coming year with more manufacturers rushing to flood the market with more phones that do more than we’ve ever imagined.
10. Jobs
Everyone is jumping on the mobile development bandwagon. Promises of riches aren’t the only reason why traditional developers are getting into the mobile arena. They are fueled by companies ramping up their mobile offerings and scrambling to find specialists in the field. A quick survey of job sites will reveal that while engineers are in demand, so are mobile specific UX specialists and product managers. As the field grows, expect more jobs to open up.
Category: Uncategorized | Tags: android, angry birds, apps, facebook, foursquare, Gingrerbread, gowalla, html5, ios, iPad, loopt, Mobile, rovio, rummble, twitter
