Market research firm Nielsen recently released their year-end data, and provided some interesting information on smartphone use and mobile apps. The data revealed a marked increase in smartphone activity and mobile app usage.

At the start of 2013, 56% of US mobile phone users owned smartphones. Data gathered from August to October reveals that an average of 65% (or almost two-thirds) of US mobile subscribers are using smartphones. 52% of these subscribers are using Android devices, while 41% are on iOS. Only 3% of these subscribers are on Blackberry devices, while only 2% are on Windows Phones.

The study also listed the top 10 mobile apps (for iOS and Android), based on data from January-October 2013:

Facebook is the number one app for 2013, with an average of about 103,420,000 unique monthly users. Google apps dominate the list, with Search, Play, Maps, and Gmail in second, third, fifth, and sixth places.

While Instagram ranks seventh in the list of top ten apps for 2013, it topped the charts for year-over-year growth. The average number of unique Instagram users increased by 66%, followed by Apple Maps at 64%. Facebook tied with YouTube in terms of growth at 27%, while Google Maps came in last at 14%.

With smartphone penetration, mobile device availability, and app usage increasing year after year, every business should look into creating an effective mobile strategy for 2014. Whether you’re looking into mobile app development, responsive design, or e-mail marketing for an existing app, Creativo Media has you covered.

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