Today, InMobi, the world leader in mobile-first technology platforms, unveiled its App Discovery & Download Behavior Report: China vs. US. Today’s report shows that China offers real potential for the growing US developer community, despite US developers’ tendency to ignore the China market due to cultural barriers, the fragmented app distribution ecosystem and piracy concerns. China has more smartphones than the total number of mobile phones in use in US – an indication of the huge potential of the China app market. Chinese users are also more likely to download a higher volume of apps, with 36% of smartphone users there expected to download over 20 apps in the next month, compared to just 16% in the US. Chinese smartphone users are also much more proactive in their search for new apps, with 72% actively looking for new apps, compared to 60% in the US. Commenting on the study Jessie Yang, General Manager China at InMobi: “Clearly, there are factors in each market that shape user behavior. If US developers want to succeed in China, they need to be sensitive to these market differences and understand the drivers behind these behaviors. In China, we see much higher levels of downloads and a more proactive approach to app discovery. That’s something US developers will need to leverage to succeed in this market.” Interestingly, despite the differences in installed based and perception towards apps between China and the US, there is strong consumer acceptance of mobile ads in both markets. Half (49%) of Chinese smartphone users are equally or more receptive to mobile ads than TV or PC, compared to 65% in the US. This is also one of the few areas where China trailed the US (65%). Another similarity is the positive influence of App Store reviews, with half of all respondents across both geographies stating that reviews do influence their download decisions, particularly on Android. From a user perspective, word of mouth is a bigger influencer on driving downloads on iOS than on Android.
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*Source: Fortune Magazine (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/14/smartphones-chinas-next-great-economic-indicator/)
About the research study
InMobi is committed to mobile industry education and thought-leadership with its Mobile Insights program. Its reports leverage consumer surveys via mobile devices, combined with data sourced from its network across six continents and 200 countries. InMobi fielded a survey via its global mobile ad network to examine app discovery and download behaviors in the US & China. The survey was conducted on-device with a sample size of over n=1000 Android and iOS users in March 2013.
About InMobi
InMobi has been recognized by MIT Technology Review as one of 50 Disruptive Companies of 2013. InMobi platforms enable the world’s leading brands, developers, and publishers to engage global consumers. InMobi builds mobile-first technology platforms that leverage advances in big-data, user behaviour, and cloud-based architectures to simplify advertising. Agencies and advertisers leverage InMobi platforms to create HTML5 rich media ads and engage 691M consumers across 165 countries. Developers and premium publishers use InMobi platforms to acquire and monetise their mobile apps and their mobile websites across the globe. With offices in multiple continents, InMobi provides global reach with local service and support. InMobi is venture-backed by investors including: SoftBank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo Ventures. Developers can start monetizing instantaneously by downloading our SDK - www.inmobi.com/SDK
To learn more, please visit www.inmobi.com, follow us on Twitter @InMobi, or discover the latest mobile insights at www.inmobi.com/insights/.
Media Contact: Mital Goel Global Corporate Communications Manager E: mital.goel@inmobi.com
