App Stores Turn 4

App stores will turn four in July 2012. Four years ago, mobile apps sparked a vigorous debate about whether "apps" or "Web" were the "best" ways for people to interact with content and experiences on mobile devices and PCs. 


One hears less of that debate these days, in part because users have found uses for both Web and app approaches to content and experiences. And those behaviors are extensive. 


In a next iteration, apps will become hybrid, integrating more naturally with Web approaches, though, says Thomas Husson, Forrester Research analyst. 


A third of European online consumers ages 18 who own a smart phone are using apps daily or more often, Forrester Research says.


Some 17 percent are using apps several times a day. Among European online consumers ages 18 with installed apps on their smart phones, 57 percent use social networking and 48 percent use news apps at least daily, while 69 percent use finance and banking apps at least weekly.