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Social Networking, top-gaining mobile content category: comScore report
By siliconindia
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Thursday, 03 June 2010, 22:26 IST
Reston: comScore, has released a report on the fastest-growing mobile application and browser content categories based on data from its MobiLens service. According to the report, social networking led as the top-gaining category for both application and browser access, confirming the surging popularity of this service on mobile devices. Accessing bank accounts was one of the fastest-gaining categories via both app and browser, said the report.
According to Mark Donovan, comScore Senior Vice President of mobile, since mobile media consumption on the rise, the discussion of how consumers are accessing content -- whether it is via application, browser or both -- continues to be an important factor for companies looking to invest further in their mobile brands. Although application access is clearly on the rise, content consumption via browser continues to be the most popular method for Americans to access mobile media, he added.
In April 2010, while 78 percent of smartphone users accessed their browser, 80 percent of smartphone users accessed applications. On the other hand, just 19 percent of feature phone users accessed their browser, with 17 percent accessing applications.
The report said that In April 2010, 69.6 million mobile users accessed an application on their phone, an increase of 28 percent from the previous year. Social Networking experienced the strongest growth in app access, increasing 240 percent to 14.5 million users. Accessing News apps followed, growing 124 percent to 9.3 million users, while Sports Information apps experienced a 113-percent surge to nearly 7.7 million users. Bank Accounts apps also more than doubled their audience, growing to nearly 5 million users in April.
According to the report, more Americans still use their browser versus applications. Nearly 73 million mobile users accessed their browser in April, an increase of 31 percent from the previous year. Mirroring application category growth, Social Networking ranked as the fastest-growing category accessed via browser, growing 90 percent from the previous year to reach almost 30 million users, said the report.
