Users Likely are Downloading More Mobile Apps Than They Think

Consumers often incorrectly estimate their habits and behaviors. Yankee Group researchers say consumers report downloading about two apps a month. But tracking software installed on a test group by Yankee Group researchers revealed that respondents actually downloaded an order of magnitude more applications for their smartphones than the consumers reported by recollection.

Android owners download an average of more than 20 apps per month, while BlackBerry owners download only two. That is a finding consistent with other surveys. This behavior may be explained by the variety of apps available, Yankee Group researchers say: Android app stores offer more than 130,000 apps, while RIM’s App World offers only 23,000.

Consumers remove an average of 11 apps each month. In fact, the tracking software shows consumers remove 73 percent of the apps they download.