As Apple’s App Store continues its countdown to 1 billion apps downloaded, Compete has released the results of a rather humorous study of iPhone users. Apparently, for all the bells and whistles the combination of the iPhone and the App Store offers, the most popular thing to do is look up the weather, as MediaPost highlights today.
Of those iPhone users surveyed, 39 percent stated that a weather application was one of their three most-used apps on their device. This was far ahead of any of the number two cited app, Facebook, which 25 percent of those surveyed named. By far the most popular category in the App Store when it comes to actual downloads is games, but in this survey, that category only managed third place with 20 percent. Compare that to numbers from ComScore last week which reported that a crazy 32 percent of all iPhone and iPod touches have a version of the game Tap Tap Revenge installed.
If these survey results are to be believed, a lot of people may have popular games such as TTR installed, but at the end of the day, they still go back to using the old trusty weather apps most often. And while that would show that it was smart of Apple to include a weather app in its default package of native apps that ship with the iPhone, it doesn’t seem to speak well for the hugely hyped App Store that the default weather app is what people still want to use the most. (Though, to be fair, a full 13 percent of that 39 percent, said they used The Weather Channel app, which is from the App Store.)
But should we really put any weight into these numbers from Compete? After all, the firm has proven time and time again to do a pretty mediocre job when it comes to measuring web site statistics. It’s not clear how many iPhone users were actually surveyed in the report (which isn’t out yet), so it may or may not be a good sample for such data. But one weird part of the data — at least as it’s broken down by MediaPost — is that while weather apps are all bunched together into a category, it seems to break out the Facebook app as separate from social networking apps as a whole. I mentioned Facebook was at 25% in the survey, both other apps, such as MySpace, also appeared, but oddly weren’t grouped together like weather apps and games were.
Data in February from analytics company Pinch Media suggested that that average shelf life of an iPhone app is less than 30 days. With that in mind, it makes some sense that people return to the old, trusted weather apps, which, while boring, are useful to people on a day-to-day basis. But what about the texting and email apps? Certainly, those have to be used more (though perhaps they weren’t included, as Apple is highly restrictive when it comes to those being allowed in the App Store). And what about the various Twitter apps?
We have to keep in mind that still a high majority of iPhone users don’t ever use the App Store. A huge amount of people bought the iPhone for the design and basic functionality. This will gradually change over time, but it is no surprise that a Weather app is the most highly used.
With 30,000+ apps in the store, its overwhelming for most consumers. We’re trying to help solve that problem, but its too early right now to expect everyone to be all about the App Store. Time will help with this, but let’s not let vague percentages sway our opinion of the potential of the App Store. Think of computer users. There are still a huge percent who just use email, web browsing, and writing. Does that discount the potential of software, games, etc.?
I think that is exactly why Apple is interested in making the application purchase and install process native to the device, rather than requiring iTunes.
What? I thought it didn’t require iTunes. I can browse and install from my ipod touch.
Correct, you can do this via the App Store app already.
Perhaps you mean they want to put more emphasis on the on-board app store?
Wait a week for my weather app to come up. It will change the landscape.
You need an iPhone app for the weather? Goodness! Just look outside, lazy people
You must be from the west coast. Looking outside doesn’t work out east.
hahahaha! no shit! This comment rules.
You must be a genius to be able to look outside and see temperature.
what would it matter if it was 22 degrees instead of 23.
I think he meant to say was that you cant forecast the weather for the day/week by looking outside.
The whole concept of needing a specific software install to reach a Web site or service is not only a regressive dinosaur of 1990s PC thinking, but it reflects how poorly mobile devices have supported baseline Web standards.
Could you imagine needing a specialized install on your PC or Mac just to reach a Web site? This insanity is no different.
Or maybe it says something about how badly baseline web standards suck?
Agreed. The web is not everything as applications are proving. As a matter of fact, I bet that the web never gets the traction that it has on the desktop.
change ur name buddy
@swag
I agree ! Completely. It is funny to me that the iPhone finally delivers the mobile web and then we’ve turned around and created silo apps for specific sites and called it beautiful. Truly bizarre and very PC 1990’s style.
>Or maybe it says something about how badly baseline web standards suck?
Right! Unless of course Microsoft is violating them.
There is a new apps called iKcul which will make it a “must have” this summer.
Can someone explain the numbers to me? There have been 30 million iphones sold. At 1 billion apps, that amounts to 33 apps per person. Does this include iPod Touch as well? Even if I doubled the number to 60 million iphones+touch, that’s still 16.5 apps per person.
That number sounds WAY to high considering that many iphone users never install an app.
This is WAY higher than, say, average # of installs on a PC, game console, or what have you.
People who’ve installed one app probably tend to install many more.
dont find the weather apps too productive. safari seems to get everything done.
WeatherLocator.com – what are you under?
Paraphrasing Mark Twain: “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”
True back in his time, true now. The weather is something that has an affect on everyone. Not surprising it’s a top iPhone App.
Include me in the segment of iPhone owners – the original model – who have never even downloaded a single application. I visited The App Store once – and only once – and found it impossible to logically sort and group the applications, never mind search through them, so I just blew it off completely. I did spend a good hour there, though, and saw absolutely nothing compelling at all.
I got the iPhone to have a phone, iPod and Mac Mail. I didn’t really even care about Safari that much, and I NEVER text message (I’m 51 and don’t understand the concept: You have a perfectly functional phone in your hand, and you’re going to bring up a tiny, error-prone, on-screen keyboard and send a text message? Not me).
After using Safari a few times just for grins, the wow factor receded and was replaced by the stark realization that surfing on such a small device is a miserable experience. Especially if you have middle-aged eyes and your arms have grown too short. LOL!
I’d like an iPhone the size and form-factor of the old Newton 110/120/130 devices I had back in the 90’s. Those were wonderful, but ahead of their time and lacking usable connectivity. You put an iPhone in a Newton-sized device that I can use my Etymotic high fidelity insert-earphone headset with, and then we’ll talk applications and web surfing.
Wow then you’re paying a lot for just a phone then.
>> impossible to logically sort and group the applications, never mind search through them…
I think a site I work on – appexplorer.com – has a much easier search interface than the App Store.
To me, the app store is a long tail play. The genius of it is that any custom app can be made to deliver niche needs.
So, I wouldn’t measure the success of the app store based on the fact that everyone checks the weather. Humorous headline, sure, but I think the unique numbers of apps is the better number to talk about.
I’d say those numbers feel about right to me — my experience has been that I use the browser, Facebook, and a solitaire game consistantly. With 5 screend of apps on my phone, I really only use 3. The reast are momentarily cool, then unused.
My father used to have a silly desk toy called a weather stone. It was a rock tied to a piece of string that hung from pole – sort of like “hang rock”.
On the base of a pole were the instructions:
1 – if the rock is dry, it is sunny
2 – if the rock is wet, it is raining
3 – if the rock is moving a little, it is windy
4 – if the rock is moving alot, it is a hurricane
Maybe not so funny now, but to an 8 year old… it was genius.
Anyway, I suppose you could just hold your phone outside and apply the same instructions.
Hmmm, interesting.
What’s the only better application that’s better than predicting the weather? It’s predicting gas prices!!! If this application doesn’t make the “must have’ list, I don’t know what will. Future Gas Prices, Now! It’s available at: http://tinyurl.com/fgpnow
It tells you tomorrow’s gas price… what’s better than that?
Well, as fun as it is to know what the weather is going to be – it is not all that accurate!! However, I must admit, I do have the weather channel app on my ipod. I have used it once or twice to check the weather in such places as Paris and Honolulu. I like the word games, I like the books, I like that I can find new places to eat, all the touch of a fingertip!
I’m maxed out on my iphone.
Daily I use:
the Weather channel app(really nice & free!), builtin stock app, Shoutcast(Free!) for thousands of internet radio stations, Simplify(stream ur entire audio collection from ur pc to iphone), Shovel and of course Safari/mail/google map.
Be sure to check out some of my favs: WinAdmin or LogMein for remote pc access, WunderRadio, Bloomberg, HiCalc, Lux, Air Sharing, Evernote, Noise.io(music), Thereminator, iKoto, Google apps, etc etc And games,games,games!
@MG – As the Compete analyst that MediaPost spoke to for the data supporting their article, I would be happy to speak with you about the methodology used to gather these results. Similarly, I can explain to you the differences we saw between the types (categories) of applications that iPhone owners say they download vs. the 3 applications they say they use the most often when given the chance to respond in an open-ended format. Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email.
Wouldn’t is be a “count up” to a billion apps? : P
Well I guess the weather app is probably generic and commonly needed enough to be used across all sections of people that the survey results might actually be believable.
1 billion, so great.
Can’t believe so many apps have been downloaded in such a short time. It’s such a great device… admittedly, I don’t use any of the weather apps other than the one it comes with