The world’s smartphone subscribers will download about 36 billion apps in 2012, according to a new forecast.
ABI Research has predicted that the average smartphone user will download close to 37 native apps throughout the year, up from 35 apps per smartphone in 2011.
But the firm believes the average download count is reaching a plateau, and due to start modestly decreasing in coming years.
ABI senior analyst Aapo Markkanen said the changing demographics of smartphone users is putting downward pressure on app downloads.
“The next waves of smartphone subscribers in the more mature app markets of the United States, Western Europe, and parts of Asia will be downloading quite notably fewer apps than, say, the first one-third of the mobile consumers who bought smartphones,” he said.
The evolution of the mobile web, including incresing adoption of HTML-5, is also contributing to the downward trend.