InMobi undertook a survey of mobile developers across the world in an attempt to understand the ever growing
ecosystem better. The Mobile app developer survey from InMobi drawn from over 1000+ respondents across 155
countries showcases some insightful data on the latest trends in the mobile app ecosystem, including developer
mindshare, platform of choice , revenue models, challenges and motivations and mobile ad network preferences.
State of mobile mobile developers:ecosystem and marketing mix
1. STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016
Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers
February
2016
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Research Objectives & Methodology
3. Key Insights
4. Profile of Developers
5. Platforms
6. Downloads & Revenues
7. Monetization
8. Mobile Ad Network Preferences
3. The mobile revolution and the surge in smart phone usage is driving the market for mobile applications. Mobile app
development is a prospering industry and is going to get bigger over time. The growth in consumer demand for mobile
apps and their ever growing time spent on these apps is encouraging for both aspiring and seasoned developers to
innovate across mobile devices. The speed at which the app industry continues to evolve, the tools and platforms
available to build and monetize apps, is overwhelming for developers to build a sustainable business. This has opened
up great opportunities for the app developers to launch their own entrepreneurial avenues, build great products and
further scale their businesses. The market is massive and with huge competition the challenge for the app developers
is to make sure that they are able to monetize these apps to fund innovation.
InMobi undertook a survey of mobile developers across the world in an attempt to understand the ever growing
ecosystem better. The Mobile app developer survey from InMobi drawn from over 1000+ respondents across 155
countries showcases some insightful data on the latest trends in the mobile app ecosystem, including developer
mindshare, platform of choice , revenue models, challenges and motivations and mobile ad network preferences.
STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016
Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers
INTRODUCTION
4. InMobi undertook a survey of mobile developers
across the world in an attempt to understand the ever-
growing ecosystem better. This leading research
program tracks developer experiences across
platforms, revenues and revenue models, their
motivations and challenges, monetization and mobile
ad network preferences
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016
Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers
5. The study was developed by InMobi.
A total of 1,089 responses were received during the web
and on- device based survey which was open September
and November 2015. Not all questions were required to
answer for completing the survey and many questions
allowed for multiple answers. The insights here are based
on InMobi’s database of app developers and publishers
STATE OF MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS 2016
Based On A Survey Of 1000+ App Developers
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
8. Insight 1
6% Of Developers Describe Themselves As
Female
Compelling Opportunity For Females To Enter
App Development
1. The developer nation is male- dominated. Only
6% of our respondents describe themselves as
female, though the proportion was slightly better
(11%) in North America
2. The app developers are young with average age
ranging from 31-35 years old
9. Demographics : Gender
Global
Male
Female
Prefer not
to answer
91%
3%
6%
Europe
Male
Female
Prefer not
to answer
94%
3%
3%
APAC
Male
Female
Prefer not
to answer
93%
2%
5%
North America
Male
Female
Prefer not
to answer
83%
6%
11%
Developer Profile: Demographics, Gender
Sample Size: Global n= 1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120
10. Demographics : Age
Developer Profile: Demographics, Age
2%
2%
3%
3%
17%
20%
7%
11%
46%
49%
44%
35%
27%
25%
34%
32%
8%
4%
11%
17%
0%
0%
0%
3%
Global
APAC
Europe
North America
15-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65+
Average Age : 33 Years
Average Age : 31 Years
Average Age : 34 Years
Average Age : 35 Years
Sample Size: Global n= 1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120
• 46 percent of developers globally are between 25-34 years old and the average age is 33
11. Insight 2
Opportunity:
Mobile Continues To Attract Entrepreneurs
With The Opportunity It Offers To Scale Their
Business And Revenues Globally
1. Mobile app development is a young and growing
industry. Almost 3/4th of the developers have
been in the industry for less than 3 years
12. App Development Industry Is Fairly Young And Growing
Q. How many years have you been developing mobile apps?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
• Our survey asked respondents how long they’ve been
developing mobile apps. The results show that almost
three fourth of app developers have been in this industry
for less than three years, making this a young, but
growing industry.
• In fact, only three out of 10 have been making apps for
more than 4 years.
Less than 6 months
7-12 months
1-2 years
2-3 years
4-5 years
5+ years
12%
10%
20%
24%
18%
16%
Developer Profiles: Length of Time Developing Apps
13. Insight 3
Mobile Application Development Firms
Are Relatively Small
1. 8% of firms have grown to over 20 employees.
The limited number or employees indicates that
industry economics make it difficult to operate
firms of this size
2. 47% of respondents work by themselves
14. Mobile App Industry Is
Entrepreneurial In Nature
Developer Profiles: Size of Development Firms
47%
33%
11%
5%
3%
0%
0%
Independent developer
2 to 5
6 to 20
21-50
51-500
501-5000
>5000
Q. What is the size of your development team?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
15. Insight 4
Mobile Application Category Mix
Games, Entertainment, Utility, Education &
Lifestyle categories are high priorities for
developers globally
16. Q. What categories do your mobile apps fit in? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
Games, Entertainment & Utility
Apps is the Most Popular Category
Among Global Developers
Developer Profile: App Categories
41%
32%
27%
21%
19%
17%
16%
15%
13%
13%
12%
11%
9%
8%
3%
Games
Entertainment
Utilities
Education & Reference
Lifestyle, Food & Drink
Communications & Social Networking
Business & Productivity Tools
Music & Video
Health & Fitness
Kids
Maps, Navigation & Location Based Services
News
Media incl. Sports, Weather, Magazines
Enterprise
Others
17. Across Regions Similar Trend is Observed…
Q. What categories do your mobile apps fit in? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : Global n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120
39%
34% 33%
25% 23%
Games Utilities Entertainment Education &
Reference
Lifestyle, Food &
Drink
APAC
64%
28%
24%
20% 18%
Games Entertainment Utilities Business &
Productivity Tools
Lifestyle, Food &
Drink
NORTH AMERICA
55%
37%
23%
17% 16%
Games Entertainment Utilities Education &
Reference
Kids
EUROPE
Developer Profile: Top 5 App Categories Across Regions
18. Insight 5
Google Play Preferred App Store Among
Majority Of App Developers
1. 42% of app developers have 1-3 apps on
Google play store
2. 28% of app developers have 1-3 apps on
Apple iOS
19. Majority Of Developers Target Android And Google Play For App Development
Number of Apps Across App Stores
Q. How many apps do you have on each app store?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120
• Android seems to be a more popular development platform among developers thanks to availability across different operating systems and
due to easier access to testing devices. There is also a lower payment barrier to get your app onto the Google Play Store as compared to
Apple's App Store.
48%
20%
74%
72%
28%
42%
15%
15%
9%
14%
5%
6%
5%
10%
3%
3%
5%
7%
2%
2%
5%
7%
2%
3%
APPLE APP
STORE
GOOGLE PLAY
KINDLE STORE
WINDOWS STORE
None 1 to 3 4 to 6 6 to 10 10 to 25 More than 25
21. Insight 6
Android & iOS Dominates Every Market
1. On a global level, Android is by far the most popular
platform among developers, followed by Apple iOS
2. Developer mindshare varies widely by region, with
Android leading in Asia and Europe, while North
America shows platform parity
3. App developers entering the business primarily
embrace the Android platform
4. Java, JavaScript, HTML5 are the most preferred
language for designing and developing apps among
global developers
5. Majority of developers expect to increase their
business with Android & iOS in the next 3 years
22. Android & iOS Dominate Developer Mindshare
• Android & Apple’s iOS dominating the global developer mindshare at 86% and 57% respectively.
• Windows Phone has a developer mindshare at 21%.
Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : n=1,085
86%
57%
21%
6% 5% 3% 5%
Android OS Apple iOS Windows Phone /
Windows Mobile
Java ME RIM, BlackBerry
OS
Symbian Others
Platforms: Current Popular Platforms
23. 88%
54%
17%
3%
5%
2%
3%
Android OS Apple iOS Windows
Phone /
Windows
Mobile
RIM,
BlackBerry OS
Java ME Symbian Other (please
specify)
90%
65%
34%
9%
3%
1%
7%Android OS Apple iOS Windows
Phone /
Windows Mobile
RIM, BlackBerry
OS
Java ME Symbian Other (please
specify)
81%
71%
18%
6%
3%
3%
4%
Android OS Apple iOS Windows
Phone /
Windows
Mobile
RIM,
BlackBerry
OS
Java ME Symbian Other (please
specify)
Android & iOS Dominates Every Market
Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : n=1,085; APAC n=515; Europe n= 150; NA n=120
Platform Developer MindShare, by Region
• Developer mindshare varies widely by region, with Android
leading in Asia and Europe, while North America shows platform
parity.
• Largest difference is in APAC where the proliferation of low-cost
Android devices are high. For many people in Asia, an Android
handset is their first foray to the web.
North America
Europe APAC
24. Android Is Much More Popular As An Entry-level Platform On Which Developers
Experiment Or Learn
• App developers who enter this business primarily adopt the Android OS as it is an is an open source platform and provides numerous
functionalities and benefits for developers. Once they gain foothold, they start embracing other platforms.
Q. Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply
Q. How many years have you been developing mobile apps?
Sample Size : n=1,085
Developer Profiles: Length of Time Developing Apps
85%
86%
90%
82%
86%
87%
45%
49%
44%
57%
65%
73%
6%
7%
2%
2%
2%
8%
10%
11%
5%
4%
5%
11%
7%
7%
2%
4%
5%
16%
15%
16%
23%
27%
22%
34%
3%
7%
4%
6%
5%
7%
Less than 6
months
7-12 months
1-2 years
2-3 years
4-5 years
5+ years
Android OS Apple iOS Symbian Java ME RIM, BlackBerry OS Windows Phone / Windows Mobile Others
25. Q. Which of these programming language do you use? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : n=1,085
Java Most Popular Language In
Developer Index, While Swift is
Catching Attention
Developer Language Share
• Swift is the programming language to watch for due to its rise in
popularity in just one year of its introduction.
• Java is the most preferred language for designing and developing
apps among global developers.
• 45 percent of the developer population uses HTML5 technologies for
developing mobile apps.
• 18% of mobile app developers use Swift which is a remarkable
number for a new language, a sign that Swift may succeed in
attracting a much wider range of developers to build native iOS apps.
65%
45%
44%
36%
30%
27%
18%
18%
8%
6%
7%
Java
HTML5
JavaScript
Objective C
C#
C++
Swift
C
ActionScript
Lua
Others
26. Majority Of Developers Expect To Increase Their Business With Android & iOS
In The Next 3 Years
Q. How will your mobile app development business for these platforms change in the next 3 years?
Sample Size : n=1,085
Ways In Which Mobile App Development Business For These Platforms Will Change In The Next 3 Years
75%
61%
28%
35%
5%
6%
19%
25%
22%
19%
8%
9%
2%
4%
16%
13%
20%
18%
3%
11%
34%
33%
66%
67%
Android
iOS
Windows Phone
Mobile Web
Symbian
RIM
Increase Stay the same Decrease Won't develop / Don't know
28. Insight 7
Finding Monetary Success Is Still Hard In
Mobile App Business
1. 55% of developer make $1000 per month; monthly
average mobile app revenue globally is under $6K
2. The average monthly per-app revenue is in the
range of $5k to $11k depending on the platform.
Windows Phone is the highest money-maker at
$11.4k per month per app
3. NA app developers leads in revenue generation
with highest average revenue of $9.4k per month
per app
4. In terms of app download volume, NA leads across
regions with 20% of developers having crossed
>1000K downloads
29. 55% Of Developer Make $1000 Per Month; Monthly Average Mobile App Revenue
Globally Is Under $6K
Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars)
Q. What is the size of your development team?
• Making mobile apps is still a risky business. Despite the fact that many technical types are flocking to mobile apps with the hopes of developing the
next "Angry Birds," monetary success is still very difficult to find. The monthly average mobile app revenue globally is under $6k.
• Indie developers make a monthly average revenue of $1.5k, whereas large–size studios make about 30 times higher.
55%
14%
8%
3%
1%
18%0-1000$
1001-10000$
10,000-100,000$
100,000-500,000$
500,000$ +
Prefer not to
answer
Global Monthly App Revenue Global Monthly App Revenue, by size of development team
Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets
73%
41%
3%
8%
21%
7%
3%
13%
17%
1%
4%
24%
0%
2%
14%
15%
20%
34%
Independent Developers
Medium Size Studios
Large Studios
0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$
100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer
Independent Developers n= 391; Medium Size Studios (Development Team Size 2-50 employees) n=407;
Large Studios( Development Team Size 50+) n= 29)
Average Monthly Revenue: $1.5k
Average Monthly Revenue: $7.5k
Average Monthly Revenue: $44.0k
30. Windows Phone OS Leads Revenue Chart
Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars)
Q. . Which mobile platforms do you develop apps for today? Please select all that apply
• The average monthly per-app revenue is in the range of $5k to $11k depending on the platform. Windows Phone is the highest money-maker at
$11.4k per month per app. Those that develop to the Apple iOS make an average of about $8.1k per month per app. For Android, the average
revenue is $4.9k per month per app.
• Since Windows has only a niche audience, the app store is not as fragmented as the Android and iOS counterparts. Hence app discoverability is way
easier and the competition among apps is much lesser. Thus developers on the Windows App Store seem to enjoy the highest monthly revenue.
Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets
55%
47%
51%
15%
16%
14%
8%
13%
13%
3%
4%
3%
1%
2%
4%
18%
19%
16%
Android
iOS
Windows Phone
0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$ 100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer
Global Monthly App Revenue, by OS
Average Monthly Revenue:
$4.9k
Average Monthly Revenue:
$8.1k
Average Monthly Revenue:
$11.4k
31. North America Leads In Revenue Generation For App Developers
Monthly App Revenue, by Region
Average Monthly revenue: $4.9k
Q. How much revenue per month do you generate from mobile apps on your primary platform and all other platforms combined (on average, in US dollars)
Sample Size : n=500
• Half of the developers make less than 1000$ a month across regions.
• App developers in NA make the highest average revenue of $9.4k per month per app, followed by app developers in Europe who make
$5.2k per month per app.
55%
49%
59%
61%
14%
10%
15%
14%
8%
13%
11%
5%
3%
3%
3%
1%
1%
3%
1%
1%
18%
23%
11%
18%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Global
North America
Europe
APAC
0-1000$ 1001-10000$ 10,000-100,000$ 100,000-500,000$ 500,000$ + Prefer not to answer
Average Monthly revenue: $9.4k
Average Monthly revenue: $5.2k
Average Monthly revenue: $3.4k
Note : Revenue numbers excludes China, Japan and Korea markets
32. North America & Europe Lead App Downloads In Terms Of Volume
Q. What is the approximate number of total downloads you have, across all apps and all stores in the last 12 months?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
• One third of the app developers have less than 10K downloads across all regions. Globally only 15% have crossed 1000K download mark.
Total Number of Downloads cross all apps stores in the last 12 months
37%
37%
28%
37%
16%
15%
15%
18%
11%
10%
16%
12%
13%
14%
15%
9%
9%
10%
9%
5%
15%
13%
18%
20%
GLOBAL
APAC
EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
<10k 10-50k 50-100k 100-500k 500-1000k >1000k
34. Insight 8
Motivations & Challenges
1. For a mobile app to be successful, extensive
marketing is an important aspect. Marketing an app
effectively can pose an altogether different
challenge for developers, as they need to switch
roles from developers to marketers
2. Money, fun of building the app & creativeness are
the top three motivating factors for developers to
build apps
3. Discoverability, Acquiring right and users and
identifying the right revenue models are the biggest
app marketing challenges that developers face
today
35. App Developers Should Market Their App Smartly
Most Challenging Aspect In The Mobile Application Process For App Developers
• 43% of developers agree that marketing is the most challenging
aspect in the mobile application process.
• Marketing is key for an app's success. However such an activity
can be challenging for developers. Help is at hand - today you
have access to an array of advertising agencies which help you
build and execute an effective marketing strategy, without burning
a hole in your pocket.
Q. What do you think is the most challenging aspect in the mobile application process?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
43%
21%
17%
11%
7%
2%
Marketing
Design
Development
Distribution on multiple
platforms
Testing/QA
Support
36. Fortune & Fun Of Developing Apps Is The Prime Motivator For App Developers
Q. What is your primary motivation for app development?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
• Money, fun of building the app & creativeness are the top three motivating factors for developers to build apps.
• The first step to building a developer community is to understand the motivations of the developers and target accordingly.
Primary Motivation For Developing Mobile Apps
34%
17% 16%
14%
11%
6%
2%
Money The fun of building
an app
Being creative/
sense of self
achievement
An exciting
industry to be
within
Learning new
things
The developer
lifestyle
Peer recognition
37. App Discovery Still An Ongoing Struggle For App Developers
Mobile app marketing challenges that developers face today
• Getting app discovered is the fundamental challenge that every app
marketer faces. With millions of apps across iOS, Android, Windows
Phone and other platforms, standing out in the boundless sea of
available apps is becoming increasingly difficult.
• The best app marketers will pursue a comprehensive, well-rounded
app marketing strategy that includes both pre-launch and post-launch
work. The best strategies will include organic and paid app marketing
channels.
• In order to solve the discoverability puzzle developers should invest in
these elements like: Pre-launch marketing; Early collaboration; Initial
promotion; App discovery tools ; Grassroots activity & App search
optimization.
• The second most problem that developers face is acquiring the right
users.
Q. What are the biggest app marketing challenges you face today as a developer? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
49%
36%
29%
21%
17%
17%
Discoverability- getting awareness,
audience, and breaking through the
noise
Acquiring the right users
Identifying the right revenue model
Getting the app funded
Lack of transparency by app stores
Entering local markets
39. Insight 9
Interestingly, When It Comes To Business
Models, Developers Are Often Drawn To
Advertising
1. Advertising is the most bankable app business
revenue model that app developers prefer the most
2. 7 out of 10 app developers use mobile advertising
to monetize their apps currently. 18% of them plan
to use mobile advertising in future
3. Banner Ads, Interstitial & Native Ads are the top 3
ad formats that developers prefer the most to
monetize their inventory. Using a right mix of ad
placement and formats is necessary to earn
maximum revenue
40. Advertising Most Popular Revenue Model Among App Developers
Ways Apps Developers Monetize Their Mobile Apps
• Mobile advertising is one of the most widely used monetization
models among app developers. Advertising is the model that
provides an income stream for app developers and effectively
powers the app economy.
• In-app purchases is the second most popular method of monetizing
apps among developers.
• Like them or not, in-app advertisement will continue to be a major
revenue-earner in 2016. The total spend on app advertising has
crossed $7 billion this year, and this will only grow (at an even faster
rate) over the next couple of years. Developers will have to focus on
managing their ad networks so that: a) they get the maximum
revenue benefits, and b) the ads do not hamper the app-experience
of users in any way.
Q. How do you monetize your mobile apps? Please select all that apply
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
63%
33%
20%
12%
9%
8%
7%
10%
Advertising
In app purchases (eg. virtual
currency, feature upgrade)
Paid app
Affiliate or CPI programs
Subscriptions
E-commerce
Selling products that work with
the app
I don't make/intend to make
money
41. Q. Have you ever used mobile advertising to monetize your apps?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
• 67% of app developers are currently using mobile advertising as
a method to monetize their apps. 18% plan to do in future.
• From running a burst campaign, a focused ad campaign spent
over a couple days to drive downloads and move up in the app
store ranking, to more targeted ad campaigns to promote new
app releases, mobile advertising yields impressive results across
the entire mobile app lifecycle.
[VALUE]
[VALUE]
[PERCENTA
GE]
Yes
No
Plan
to
do
in
future
7 Out of 10 App Developers Use Mobile Advertising to Monetize their Apps
% Of app developers who have Used mobile advertising to monetize their apps
42. Q. Have you ever used mobile advertising to monetize your apps?
Sample Size : Global n=1,085
• 45% of developers used banner ads to monetize their ad inventory. The
reason banner ads being popular because they promise mass reach, which
translates to millions of ad impressions on mobile.
• Native advertising, which is a more engaging and less intrusive ad format than
banner ads, is quickly becoming a major source of revenue for developers.
• Developers should take advantage of high-earning ad units like videos,
rewarded videos and playable ads- The evolution of mobile has led to more
creative and technical capability offerings from in-app advertising.
Simultaneously, advertisers are constantly looking for ways to keep users
interested and engaged in their ad content. Work with an ad partner that can
bring you knowledge of native, rich media and other special ad formats that
enhance your user experience.
Banner, Interstitial & Native Ads Preferred Ad Format For Monetization
Preferred ways to monetize ad inventory among app developers
45%
36%
29%
27%
24%
15%
Banner Ads
Interstitial Ads
Native Ads
Video Ads
Rewarded Video Ads
Playable Ads
44. Insight 10
Mobile Ad Network Preferences Among
Developers
1. Revenue potential/eCPM, Ease of integration and Fill
rate are the top three most important criteria that
developers evaluate when selecting ad network as a
partner
2. Sample code, documentation & answers on online
support forums features that ad networks should
offer along with API/SDK
45. Revenue Potential/eCPM Tops Developers List in Evaluating To Partner With Ad Network
Q. What are the most important criteria for selecting a mobile ad network? Please rank in order of most important to least.
Sample size: n=1,085
• Revenue potential/eCPM, Ease of integration and Fill rate are the top three most important criteria that developers evaluate when selecting ad
network as a partner.
• High eCPM guarantees that traffic will be translated into income for the developer, so it is natural to assign a lot of weight to this parameter
when deciding about the network partner.
Most Important Criteria For Selecting Mobile Ad Network
1 Revenue potential/eCPM
Ease of integration
Fill rate/inventory
Service payment reliability
Supported ad formats
Availability across platforms
4
2 5
3 6
46. Sample Code, Documentation & Answers on Online Support Forums Features that Ad
Networks Should Offer Along With API/SDK
• Sample code, Documentation & Answers on online support
forums are the top 3 features that ad networks should offer
along with API/SDK for app developers.
• Others include timely updates on SDK, easy integration
guide, unity support, easy tutorial video with subtitles, FAQ
and great full featured, easy to use and fast dashboard.
Q. What are the 3 most important features/services that companies should offer along with their API or SDK
Sample size: n=1,085
Most Important Features/Services That Ad Networks Should Offer Along With Their API Or SDK
52%
49%
33%
29%
27%
24%
14%
10%
2%
Sample code
Documentation
Answers on online support forums
IDE integration
Commercial programs/Direct
revenue opportunities
Dedicated forums
Events and Meetups
Paid support
Other (please specify)
48. Insight 11
1. 32% of developers are more likely to build apps
on wearables in the future.
2. The use of wearable devices is increasing and its
popularity will continue to rise for years to come
Wearable Apps Will Emerge as The Next
Battleground For The Platform Wars For
Developers
49. Q. Do you anticipate creating a wearable app for your business (for Google Glass, Apple Watch etc.)
Sample size: n=1,085
• Only 6% of developers have created apps on wearables.
• 32% of developers are more likely to build apps on wearables in
the future.
• The use of wearable devices is increasing and its popularity will
continue to rise for years to come. It is a great challenge before
mobile app developers to design applications that can work
simultaneously on a smart phone as well as wearable device. As
of now, we have seen some popular fitness applications
becoming available on wearable devices. This trend will grow
exponentially as other areas of human life will begin to get
monitored using wearable technology.
Wearable Apps: The Next Battleground For The Platform Wars For Developers
% of App Developers Willing to Create a Wearable Apps (for Google Glass, Apple Watch etc.)
6%
9%
32%
31%
Already have one Likely in 2015
Somewhat likely in future Unsure if will in future
51. Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead
Swift – the programming language of the future
Up until recently, most app developers have created their programs using more traditional
and long-standing programming languages like HTML, C++, and Objective C. Swift – the
brand new programming language by Apple is getting a lot of attention from developers.
Designed both as an application language as well as a systems language, it is built on a
modern compiler infrastructure and gives developers the opportunity to write more reliable
code right from the very beginning.
1
iOS & Android Duopoly Continues
The Android and iOS duopoly commands the attention of both developers and consumers
and remain firmly established. However, the platform wars are not over yet.
2
3
Utility Apps Are Here to Stay
Nowadays, users want better control in terms of fitness, activities they perform on a day-to-
day basis and so on. Thankfully, utility apps help in achieving such goals in a highly
effective manner. Whether you need to track your fitness level, or keep track of weather, or
want to schedule to-do tasks, etc., utility apps are one of the most popular categories of
mobile users. And thus, creating a utility app can help maximize the success of your app.
52. Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead
Better Marketing, Advertising & Purchasing Inside of Apps
Mobile apps have tremendous potential for bringing in money and the expenditure levels on in-
app purchases are expected to rise in 2016. Monetizing apps will rely on a far broader
spectrum of channels, with advertisements spreading beyond simple banner ads to formats
including image, text and video. App developers will continue to push the limits on mobile app
advertisements and purchases, shifting away from the focus of paid download models.
4
Increased Attention to Apps for Wearables
Credit goes to the Apple Watch - wearable technology became the hottest topic in the industry
of consumer electronics. Most of the wearable devices developed so far were focusing on
health and fitness, but by the beginning of 2016 Wearable devices are expected to be used by
the enterprises to improve their productivity and efficiency. Developers will be transferring their
own concentration from Smartphones to wearable device applications for enterprise and
various industries in 2016.
.
More Focus Will Be on Getting Quality Traffic
The biggest issues that developers usually face is acquiring good users that are likely going to
come back and use the app. And so, rather than running after creating plenty of apps
developers seem to be creating one that can help them get quality traffic, so as to achieve
good revenues.
5
6
53. Mobile App Developer Trends 2016 – The Road Ahead
App Marketing Continues To Evolve Further
Mobile App marketing techniques continue to evolve each year. In 2015, the app marketers
were more focussed on user engagement rather than user acquisition. With user engagement
in focus, more and more marketers and developers have started to realize the importance of
organic users as these users were more loyal and engaged than the users acquired through
other paid channels. App Store Optimization will continue to be a key factor in making an app
successful in 2016. With Beacon and Location based WIFI services, marketers will now have
more ways to target based on the user’s location and promote their apps with many other
offers.
7
Expenditure on app ads will rise
In-app advertisement will continue to be a major revenue-earner in 2016. The total spend on
app advertising has crossed $7 billion this year, and this will only grow (at an even faster rate)
over the next couple of years. Developers will have to focus on managing their ad networks so
that: a) they get the maximum revenue benefits, and b) the ads do not hamper the app-
experience of users in any way.
8