As smartphones have increased in popularity, so has the popularity and usability of the little pieces of software that we use to get things done, pass the time, etc. Each application on a user's device can be pretty personal and, when you take all of a person's apps and look at them as a whole, they can really be a good indicator of what kind of user that person is. To that end, Nokia has teamed up with Cornell University’s leading sociologist, Professor Trevor Pinch, to study the app habits of 5,000 smartphone owners in 10 different countries to see what our devices say about us. They've also put together a short survey to help you determine what kind of user you are and recommend some apps that should fit your personality. You can take the survey for yourself right here. Some interesting findings from Nokia and Professor Pinch's study include:
- 68 percent of users in the U.S. have at least 30 apps on their device
- 51 percent only download free apps
- 15 percent of Midwesterners say that they couldn't live without their social apps
- 24 percent of users in the North East use apps going to or from work, which is twice as much as other regions
- Music apps are biggest in the West, where 18 percent of users have them
- One in four users in the South are likely to download to install news and information apps
The study paints a pretty neat picture of the usage habits of smartphone owners across the country and provides a nice compliment to Taylor's article about about apps from yesterday, too. Being from the Midwest, I can attest that I'm part of the social networking obsession: Twitter and Facebook are by far my most used apps. After taking Nokia's Appitype survey, I was told that I'm an "Appthusiast," as you can see above, and some of the apps that were recommended to me (Swype and SoundHound) are actually ones that I like and use on a regular basis. After you take the Appitype survey, be sure to report back with the results, and let us know if you fit in with your region's app trends!
The global demand for mobile applications has surged as people become more dependent on the technology in their pockets. According to a global study from Nokia, 55 per cent of smartphone users in the USA believe apps truly benefit their lives relying on them while at home (35 per cent), travelling (26 per cent), or at work (15 per cent).
Nokia is working alongside Cornell University’s leading sociologist and professor of science and technology studies, Professor Trevor Pinch, to analyse the study of over 5,000 smartphone users in ten countries and to investigate what our smartphone behaviour says about who we are.
The research shows that it isn’t about the number of apps people have, but about finding ones that are the most useful. 68 per cent have up to 30 apps on their smartphones, with a fifth (20 per cent) saying that they delete all similar apps from their handset if they hear about a better one.
“Apps are becoming intrinsic to the way we live,” says Professor Pinch. “Our relationship with them has turned from just occasional use into a real dependency. It is because of this that our personal app ‘collections’ represent our unique needs, personality and interests. We can learn much about a person’s behavior via a mix of their choice of apps, personality variables, use variables and competence variables.”
National Key Facts:
68 per cent of people in the USA have up to 30 apps on their device, with men more likely to download an app (83 per cent) vs. women (69 per cent).
The most popular apps to download are social networking (39 per cent), games (37 per cent), music (26 per cent), news/information and utilities (21 per cent).
The most popular apps people actually use are social networking (32 per cent), games (27 per cent), news/information (19 per cent) and utilities (18 per cent).
Women (35 per cent) are much more into social networking than men (28 per cent), with the majority of younger users downloading and using these types of app.
48 per cent of people like to download apps because they know they’ll benefit their life.
Most smartphone users frequently rely on apps throughout the day (42 per cent) while a further 14 per cent log on and use them once a day.
35 per cent of people use apps they have when at home while 26 per cent use them whilst travelling around their town or city.
51 per cent of Americans only download the free apps available for their phone.
Regional highlights:
Midwest key facts
63 per cent of people in the Midwest have up to 20 apps on their device.
Keen socialisers, those in the Midwest use social networking apps the most (49 per cent) with 15 per cent citing that they could not live without them.
46 per cent of people from the Midwest frequently use the apps on their smartphones at various points throughout the day – more than in any other region.
North East key facts
49 per cent of those in the North East download social networking apps – more than any other region.
45 per cent of people in the North East download gaming apps – more than in any other region.
50 per cent of those in the North East like to download apps because they feel that they will benefit their life.
Almost one in four in the North East (24 per cent) use the apps on their smartphone on their commute to or from work – twice as much as any other region.
West key facts
18 per cent in the Western US use music apps – more than in any other region.
16 per cent in the Western US download apps two or three times a week – more than in any other American region.
Almost one in five in Western US (18 per cent) use the apps on their smartphone mostly at work – more than in any other region.
South key facts
One in four (25 per cent) of those in the Southern portion of the US are likely to download news and information apps – more than in any other American region.
53 per cent of those in the South only download the free apps available for their phone.
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