Study Says We Aren't Downloading Apps Any More. Why?

Is Apple Killing Its Own App Store?

We're getting bored of apps. Or maybe we've just downloaded them all. Whatever the reason, according to new figures from Deloitte people just aren't downloading as many apps as they used to.

The new figures show that across all of the platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) over 31 per cent of us will not download a single new app this month.

If you're not in that group then you'll have only downloaded one or two at most. We're also pretty fed up of paying for apps as well, 9 in 10 of us will never spend a single penny on the apps we download.

That's bad news for app developers and even worse news for the smartphone manufacturers.

The question though is whether Apple and Google have brought this on themselves? When you buy your brand-new smartphone there are a set number of essential apps that you'll probably download.

These will include social media services like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You'll also probably download some media apps like iPlayer, Netflix or Sky Go.

Carry on and you'll start struggling to think of apps that you absolutely need in your life, maybe a couple of games, or a music streaming app like SoundCloud or Spotify.

The reason is that Apple and Google's own smartphones have become so comprehensive that a lot of the features you needed independent apps for are now standard within the OS.

You don't need a flashlight app for iPhone anymore, it comes with iOS 7. Gone is the requirement for a compass or spirit level, again, both are included free with your iPhone.

With such little enthusiasm to stray outside of this 'golden list', app recommendations are now the only way to enter the elite circle.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Paul Lee, head of research for technology, media and telecommunications at Deloitte explained that social circles are now the key to getting your app downloaded.

"The more friends you have on one network, the less likely you are to move, so inertia sets in and it becomes increasingly hard for a new player to come and dislodge the other player,"

Another reason that apps aren't being downloaded could be the increasing audience that smartphones now have.

Deloitte believes that the increasing number of over 50 smartphone owners could be to blame as they have less need for a data-connected smartphone.

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