The mobile apps market is maturing as users declare themselves satisfied with current engagement rates, according to a survey by Gartner.
Brian Blau, research director at Gartner, said that user interest in apps has mellowed now that they have integrated apps into their use of personal technology and their interaction with brands while online. Although usage remains high, users may not want or need more apps in the future.
In order to quantify how users feel about their use of apps, Gartner conducted a survey of more than 2,000 US and German consumers in 2014. Both countries are considered mature markets and thus comparisons can be made with other markets that are more or less mature in terms of mobile app adoption.
Respondents were asked which apps they had used on their smartphone in the last three months and how frequently they had used them.
Usage rates, some approaching daily use for most users, are consistent with other observations of the market, such as how businesses brand and use apps as a main touchpoint. Even for a less-used app category, for example fitness, there is high use within that group.
Fitness has only 23% and 16% use (in the US and Germany, respectively) among all smartphone users, but for those who use fitness apps, more than seven out of 10 are using those apps weekly or more frequently.
According to the survey, smartphone users are content with their current level of interest in apps. With such a strong indication of users keeping the status quo, Gartner expects to see a continued high level of interest in apps.
“Users will try new apps, but they need to be convinced of an app's value before they adopt them and change use patterns over the long term," said Blau.