Report: More than 160B apps to be downloaded in 2017

More than 160 billion apps will be downloaded globally onto consumer handsets and tablets in 2017, according to latest figures by Juniper Research. This sharp increase, from 80 billion in 2013, is a result of many consumers in developing markets upgrading from feature phones to smartphones, and a growing number of apps downloaded at no upfront cost, the company said. The report also found that the majority of annual downloads will be in the games category, with at least 40 per cent of downloads arising from this area. However, only 5 per cent of apps will be paid for at the point of download in 2017, down from 6.1 per cent this year. Release