Mobile App Usage Statistics Shows App Download Numbers Don’t Mean Success

There has been something of an App War in the UK. The App Store versus the Android Market, Windows Phone Marketplace. Each is turning to developers to offer more choice for consumers. As smartphones get faster, allowing a quicker transfer of data, integrating Augmented Reality along with fancy graphics we have developed a habit for downloading games, information or apps just to make our lives easier or just a little bit more fun. But how much do we really love our Apps?

New research suggests while we might rush to download the latest app and play with it for a few days, in fact our love runs cold quickly. The research focussed on users in the US. It showed that 68% of smartphone users only open five or fewer apps a week. 17% don’t use any apps and under half, 42% of Americans have a device that has apps.

They are, the researchers say, merely a novelty that wears off. We delete apps we get bored with, we stop using them and if you use an operating system that shows up the apps you use most frequently, you can scroll through the screens to show the ones that have fallen out of favour. The estimate is that around 80% of apps are eventually deleted, which is why the researchers of this report say measuring downloads of apps is a bad way to measure how popular they might actually be.

The importance for apps to smartphone launches has grown as it is a good way of showcasing a devices capability. Both EA and Gameloft released new apps and games to coincide with the iPhone 4S. Siri was an app itself originally, and the developers were taken over by Apple. But while there is big demand at the launch, users tend to whittle down the apps they use regularly, until there are just a core few they use. The Nokia Lumia 800, the first to use Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, made app integration even easier by adopting social networking platform friendliness, allowing users to see Twitter and Facebook updates as though they were messages. BBM, or Blackberry Messenger is much the same, a feature that has become so integrated into device practice that it is a social networking platform in its own right.

For app developers though, it is not great news. Apps do not make firms a huge amount of money, no matter how much of a push they might get on the AppStore. One UK based developer created a wide range of apps but still saw that arm of their business operate at a loss. A good profile raiser, but not a sound business model.

But is it so bad that we use and lose apps? One of the best things about our smartphones is the ability to mould them and personalise them. Keeping it fresh with new apps makes it easier for us to explore new games and new places. We might get excited about a tourism app while in a new city, but never use it again when we get home, but instead of seeing apps as a long term download, should we just see them as a short term fancy, a fling rather than a marriage? With so many millions of apps to choose from it would be impossible for anyone who sample even half over the course of a smartphone’s lifetime. More choice makes it easier for us to pick and choose, as difficult as that may before developers who want us to keep hold of them forever.

Top 5 Christmas Apps for iPhone

Christmas is right around the corner, so now it’s the right time to pick out some holiday apps for your iPhone. Here are the Christmas apps I personally enjoy, and I hope you’ll also like them. Continue reading »

iPhone 3GS Unlock Tutorial For iOS 4.3.1

Here is another short tutorial for unlocking the iPhone 3GS 4.3.1 with Ultrasn0w 1.2.1 for the iOS 4.3.1.Please keep in mind that this not a new unlock but just a compatibility fix for the iOS 4.3.1 so that those who have been following baseband can unlock their device on the iOS 4.3.1.

Please make a note of the following supported iPhone 3GS basebands :

• 04.26.08
• 05.11.07
• 05.12.01
• 04.13.04
• 06.15.00

Note :

Please do not upgrade to iOS 4.3.1 without preserving the basbenad. Use the PwnageTool 4.3 or Sn0wbreeze 2.5 to jailbreak the iOS 4.3.1 in untethered mode with the preserve baseband option.

Now here are the unlock instructions :

Step 1 :

Jailbreak the iOS 4.3.1 on the iPhone 3GS with PwnageTool 4.3

or

Jailbreak the iOS 4.3.1 on the iPhone 3GS with Sn0wbreeze 2.5

Step 2 :

Start Cydia from the springboard.

Step 3 :

Now you should be able to see two options, Packages and Source.

Step 4 :

Navigate to Packages -> Edit -> Add and then enter the following :

repo666.ultrasn0w.com as the repository URL (ultrasn0w has a zero and not an o).

Step 5 :

Now go back to the Sources menu under Cydia and you will see the Ultrasn0w package.

Step 6 :

Click on the Ultrasn0w package and then select Ultrasn0w 1.2.1.

Step 7 :

Tap the Install button and let Ultrasn0w 1.2.1 finish up with the installation procedure.

Step 8 :

Your iPhone 3GS will reboot now and get unlocked on the iOS 4.3.1.

Happy jailbreaking once again… !!!

How to Transfer Address Book Contacts To Verizon iPhone 4

We all know how irritating and frustrating it is when it comes to transferring your contacts to a new phone. This post is for all those who have purchased a new Verizon iPhone and are looking for a hassle free method to transfer their phone book from the old phone to the new Verizon iPhone 4.

Here is a short 10 minute tutorial briefing you with instructions on obtaining your address book. This guide is applicable for phones that are supported by 4 American carriers namely AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon and are having an active service on their present phone along with a gmail account (not required for Verizon wireless subscribers.)

Verizon Wireless Phones :

Transferring from an existing Verizon to a Verizon iPhone 4 is almost effortless. Verizon has a free program called Backup Assistant, so just register on Verzion`s website, install and run the application on your old phone first followed by the iPhone 4

Step 1 :

Register for the Backup Assistant application.

Step 2 :

Install it on your phone through the Get It Now store which is for feature phones or the App store for smartphones.

Step 3 :

Now load the software, log in and start backing up your contacts.

Step 4 :

Next, turn off the Wi-Fi radio on your iPhone 4 first as the application works only over a cell connection. Open the app store and install VZ Contact Manager. Now run this program and keep following the onscreen instructions.

Sprint Phones:

To transfer contacts from a Sprint feature phone, you will require a Sprint Mobile Sync and a gmail account. For a Sprint smartphone, only Google Sync is enough.

For Sprint Feature Phones :

Step 1 :

Register for Sprint Mobile Sync.

Step 2 :

Activate the software on your phone by navigating to Main Menu>Settings>Contacts>Mobile Sync>Activate.

Step 3 :

Now log in to Sprint Mobile Sync from your desktop computer and export all your contacts as .CSV file

Step 4 :

Log in to your gmail account and import the .CSV file

Step 5 :

Now install and run Google Sync on your iPhone 4.

For Sprint Smartphones :

All you need to do is just install and run Google Sync on your old phone first followed by installing and running it later on your iPhone 4.

AT&T  Phones :

For phones serviced by AT&T, if its a smartphone, the entire transfer process is free whereas a feature phone will be costing you around $1.99 for AT&T Mobile Backup.

For AT&T Feature Phones :

Step 1 :

Navigate to AT&T`s Mobile Backup Web Site which will be sending a link to your phone for installing the software.

Step 2 :

Load Mobile Backup from your phone and backup all your contacts.

Step 3 :

Log on to AT&T Mobile Backup from your desktop computer and export the contacts as  a .CSV file.

Step 4 :

Now log in to your gmail account and import the .CSV file.

Step 5 :

Lastly, install and run Google Sync on your iPhone 4.

For AT&T Smartphones :

Step 1 :

Install and run Google Sync on your old phone followed by the iPhone 4.

T – Mobile Phones :

Once again, transferring contacts from a smartphone is simpler whereas the same procedure becomes a bit more complex for a feature phone. The companies free contact backing software restricts you from exporting your contacts, but there is still a way to tackle this situation.

For T – Mobile Feature Phones :

Step 1 :

There is a preloaded application called Mobile Backup. Just load it and select “One Time Sync”.

Step 2 :

From your desktop computer, log on to the Mobile Backup Website and follow these instructions for exporting your contacts to a .CSV file.

Step 3 :

Log in to your gmail account and import the .CSV file.

Step 4 :

Now install and run Google Sync on your iPhone 4.

For T – Mobile Smartphones :

Just install and run Google Sync on your smartphone followed by the iPhone 4.

Approval For iPhone Apps With iOS 4.3 Support Begin

Apple released the first beta version of the new iOS 4.3 operating system to developers earlier this month. Now, although there is no word as yet from Apple regarding the official launch date for the new platform, it is getting increasingly evident that the company may soon launch the new iOS to customers. The app review staff at Cupertino is learned to have started approving app updates that support iOS 4.3 features. StreamToMe, a media streaming iPhone application has recently released a new version that brings “Support for AirPlay video (requires iOS 4.3)”.

Verizon would be launching a CDMA variant of iPhone 4 from February that will include features like personal mobile hotspot. The iOS 4.3 launch is expected to happen earlier than that in order to bring similar features to existing iPhone subscribers. Are you looking forward to this release? We will update you as and when that happens.

Flickr iPhone App Updates To Support Retina Display

Yahoo has announced an update to their Flickr for iPhone app that brings support to the retina display screen that is available with the latest generation of iPhone. This means that the new version 1.3 of Flickr iPhone app will now render images compatible to the 960×640 pixel resolution of the iPhone 4 display. You will recall that the newly launched iPod Touch too comes with a retina display and there are speculations – though unconfirmed – that iPad 2 could feature this high resolution display.

Apart from support for retina display, the new Flickr iPhone app update also preserves EXIF data (date, time and geo-data) across all photos. Users can now upload photos in batches of five. Besides, the new update also enhances social sharing functions making it easy for users to share pictures via Twitter using the Flic.kr URL shortener.

The app is free to download and can be accessed by visiting this iTunes link.

Skype Video Calling On iPhone Available For Download Now

Skype has made its highly anticipated video calling feature available for download for the iPhone. The roll out has definitely caught a number of people by surprise since it was widely believed that Skype could be making an announcement in this regard during the Consumer Electronics Show next month. We had earlier noted that Skype was inviting media for a conference on the sidelines of CES and this was seen as the platform when the new video calling features could be enabled.

The new feature will be available on iPhone 3GS/4, iPad and iPod Touch 4G users to share real time video with friends and family on other iDevices as well as on Windows, Mac or Linux devices. The service is free to use and can be accessed over Wi-Fi and 3G networks. You can check out a video demo of this feature in action below.

Download the new Skype app for iPhone here.

Skype Video Calling On iPhone Rolling Out Soon?

Looks like we were right in our speculation. Earlier this month, there were reports that Skype was calling up for a media interaction on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show getting underway early next month. We had speculated that this interaction could be to introduce users to video calling functionalities on the next version of Skype’s iPhone app.

In fact, Skype is learned to have signed up for a panel discussion titled “Video Calling Gets Ready For Primetime” as well as has told a number of industry observers that the company will be making a number of video related announcements.

Now, a freshly drafted Skype help document has become public that indicates that a new Skype iPhone app version 3.0 could be rolled out soon that could bring video calling features to iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3G/4G and the iPad. It is worth noting that the current version of Skype app on the App Store is numbered 2.1.2.

So there you go. Get ready to start video calling your friends via your iPhone soon.

Share iPhone Apps Between Users Soon With Application Seeds

You may soon be able to share iPhone apps between friends using a feature called ‘application seed‘. Apple has filed a patent application for such a feature that the inventors think will bring more word-of-mouth publicity to the application.

Unfortunately, this iPhone app-sharing functionality will not mean you can save money by trying out the app purchased by a friend. Instead, this feature will merely transfer a trial version of the original app to the recipient. Worse, the developer can also choose to instead send a link to the App Store to the recipient.

The patent application delves further on the aspect of word-of-mouth marketing noting that the recipient may in turn be able to share the demo version of the app or the App Store link to more users. The sharing is seemingly possible over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Sony PlayStation App For iPhone & Android Announced

Sony has announced that an official PlayStation app will soon make its way to the iOS and Android platforms. Writing about this on the PlayStation blog, Emmanuel Orssaud, Portal Manager at Sony, has said that the first iteration of the application will only be available in UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands. A second version that will support the rest of Europe is also noted to be on its way.

The PlayStation app will let users check on their friends’ activities, read and discover the latest games, news and hardware and keep a tab on their PSN trophies. The application shall be free to download.

While this application is sure to let gamers keep a tab on theirs and their friends’ activities, it will not be a useful gaming device. That gap, it has been speculated, will be fulfilled by a PlayStation phone. Reports have suggested that this new Android based smartphone – complete with gaming controls – shall be announced sometime in the first quarter of next year. If you are a hardcore PS gamer, keep your fingers crossed until then.