In pursuit of app-iness

BANGALORE, INDIA: According to a global study from Nokia, 58 percent of smartphone users in India believe apps truly benefit their lives, relying on them while at home (31 percent), travelling (24 percent), or at work (10 percent).

Nokia, along with Professor Trevor Pinch, Cornell University’s leading sociologist and professor of science and technology studies, analyzed more than 5,200 smartphone users in 10 countries – India, Singapore, China, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and USA. The study was aimed at gathering insights into the smartphone behaviour of consumers in these countries.

The research showed that more than the number of mobile apps, it was the quality and relevance that drove apps consumption among users. More than 70 percent of users surveyed had up to 30 apps on their smartphones, with 20 percent 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,” according to Pinch. “Our relationship with them has turned from 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.”

It is not only the personality traits that are brought out through the choice of apps, but also the national characteristics. For example, Brazilians showed their appreciation for a party with 42 percent downloading music related apps including ringtones, track recognition, and music mags; Germans found functional apps such as alarm clocks and flashlight (29 percent) the most appealing; and Indians prefer business-focused apps like email and expense managers.

The study also revealed that having and using apps are not synonymous. A third of all smartphone users (30 per cent) claimed to use most of the apps on their phone, but not all. The heaviest users were in India where 14 percent claimed to use all of the apps on their phone, while the British seemed to be the most indifferent, with 23 percent admitting to hardly ever using any.

“What is really interesting about this data is that we are seeing app habits in new ways,” Pinch said. “Two-fifths [43 percent] of those questioned rely on their apps many times throughout the day – but in different contexts. The beauty of mobile devices is that they can be used with such versatility. For example, the business person can come home and hand their phone over to their kids to play games on.”

“Apps are the way in which we bring our devices to life and empower them to be like our own personal magic wands. Just like an old music collection, our apps - and the ways in which we use them – can reveal the heart and soul of who we truly are. They tell our stories,” said George Linardos, vice president of media, Nokia.

India key facts
* 77 percent of people in India have up to 30 apps on their smartphone, with men more likely to download an app (93 percent) vs. women (87 percent).
* The most popular apps to download are music (41 percent), social networking (41 percent), business (27 percent), photo/ personalization (22 percent) and games (22 percent).
* The most popular apps people actually use are social networking (40 percent), music (36 percent), business (28 percent), utilities (21 percent), games (21 percent).
* Women (43 percent) are more into social networking than men (38 percent).
* The majority of 18-24 year olds download and use social networking apps.
* 58 percent of people like to download apps because they know they’ll benefit their life, 48 percent of Indians think it’s important to have the most recent technology and applications and 34 percent feel they need to be able to download the latest music releases.
* Most smartphone users frequently rely on apps throughout the day (48 percent) while a further 22 percent log on and use them two or three times a week.
* 31 percent of people use their apps at home while 29 percent use them while commuting to and from work.
* 17 percent of Indians only download the free apps available for their phone via sites such as store.ovi.com.

Other research highlights
* Games (38 percent), social networking (35 percent) and music (29 percent) are the most downloaded apps, with social networking (31 percent), games (29 percent) and utilities (25 percent) being the most used.
* South Africans are the most connected with 45 percent using social networking apps – 5 per cent more than Brazil and India.
* Singaporeans are at the top of the scoreboard when it comes to mobile gaming, with 49 percent using or downloading.
* More than any other nationalities, the Chinese like to keep their fingers on the pulse of news and information (30 percent).
* Almost a third (28 percent) of practically minded Italians would rather opt for a travel app than carry a cumbersome guidebook when heading abroad.