mobileu.co.uk

Smartphone shoppers give rise to appster generation

A rising number of mobile phone customers are choosing a new smartphone specifically based on whether or not it can download applications, a new study has shown.

The research by Money Supermarket identifies an "appster" generation and suggests applications are a greater consideration than the cost or number of minutes and texts bundled into a mobile phone deal.

According to the comparison site, the average member of the appster generation has downloaded nine applications in the past year, spending £9 or more.

Nearly half of the 2,008 British adults polled by the site admit they would consider switching – or have recently switched – to a smartphone to get access to applications.

"The iPhone has led the way in the smartphone market since its launch, and the advent of applications has really added fuel to the fire," said James Parker, manager of mobiles at Money Supermarket.

"Apps are already extremely popular, but it seems that plenty more people will consider switching to a smartphone in order to be part of the latest mobile phenomenon."

Parker described the recent launch of music streaming service Spotify on the Android and iPhone platforms as "a milestone" in the mobile world.