US iPhone owners spent average of $35 on apps in 2015, mostly on games
An average of $35 per active iPhone was spent on apps and in-app purchases in the U.S. in 2015, with most of the money going towards mobile games, according to a new market research report.
There were about 110 million active iPhones in the U.S. last year, said app marketing firm Sensor Tower, citing data from sources like Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. That figure was compared against Sensor Tower's own estimates for iPhone app downloads and revenue, since Apple rarely breaks out specific figures for the App Store.
Within the $35 tally, the lion's share of that -- $25 -- was spent on games. Although games are a consistently popular category at the App Store, that figure may have been inflated by so-called "free-to-play" games like Game of War and Clash Royale, which often force players to make in-app purchases to achieve real progress.
The next most popular category was music at just $3.40. Social networking, entertainment, and "lifestyle" apps attained averages of $1.80, $1, and 40 cents per iPhone, respectively, while the remaining $6.80 was split between 18 other categories.
An average of 10.5 games were installed per device, easily beating out the 3.4 from the next closest install category: photo and video. Social networking, entertainment, and lifestyle apps rounded out the top five.
Sensor Tower's study was notably narrow in scope, as it excluded iPad apps.
There were about 110 million active iPhones in the U.S. last year, said app marketing firm Sensor Tower, citing data from sources like Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. That figure was compared against Sensor Tower's own estimates for iPhone app downloads and revenue, since Apple rarely breaks out specific figures for the App Store.
Within the $35 tally, the lion's share of that -- $25 -- was spent on games. Although games are a consistently popular category at the App Store, that figure may have been inflated by so-called "free-to-play" games like Game of War and Clash Royale, which often force players to make in-app purchases to achieve real progress.
The next most popular category was music at just $3.40. Social networking, entertainment, and "lifestyle" apps attained averages of $1.80, $1, and 40 cents per iPhone, respectively, while the remaining $6.80 was split between 18 other categories.
An average of 10.5 games were installed per device, easily beating out the 3.4 from the next closest install category: photo and video. Social networking, entertainment, and lifestyle apps rounded out the top five.
Sensor Tower's study was notably narrow in scope, as it excluded iPad apps.
Comments
It appears there are a few whales who spend the lions share of the money made on in-app purchases on a relatively few number of games in the App Store.
To say that "the average" iPhone user spends $35 per year seems to be a bit disingenuous when one person might spend $10,000 on Candy Crush or Clash of Clans just because they can.
No doubt there is plenty of money flying around the App Store but this kind of data seems to be not relevant.
EDIT: Can we make this a bit of a survey? I don't think I have spent $35 on apps, music, etc. since I bought the first iPhone. What are you folks spending?
I'd say probably 5% spend half the money, 20% spend a third and the remaining
75% spend 15% (The same people who buy those 16G phones some on tech site find so useless). This would skew the total for the rest.
On Android it's probably even more skewed, like 5% spending 3/4 of all money and 15% spending the rest.
I took a quick look at my 2015 purchases (this includes my and my wife):
Apple gets way more out of me than third party developers do - Apple Music, iTunes Match, premium iCloud storage...