UK Mobile Device Apps Market Report 2022
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Description
The UK Mobile Device Apps Market Report identifies consumers’ attitudes towards different types of apps, the competitive strategies of the leading mobile app companies and the impact of the cost of living on the mobile app market. This report covers the UK mobile app market size, market forecast, market segmentation and mobile app market trends.
Current Mobile App Market Landscape
Mintel forecasts that the mobile app market growth will experience a slight drop off from pandemic induced high mobile app revenues and usage in 2021. The cost of living crisis will mean the freemium model will continue to dominate in the mobile app market. With consumers scrutinising their finances, the mobile app market has an opportunity to create apps to help consumers save money and monitor their energy usage and help them become savvier with their outgoings.
Mobile App Market Size and Mobile App Market Trends
During times of financial difficulty, consumers are also looking at ways to find discounts, cashback and other money-saving opportunities. Brands in the mobile app market can meet consumers halfway, and look to incorporate dynamic pricing in-app, such as foodservice discounts, responding to consumers who might be looking for savings on a service or purchase.
- Mobile app market size: Mintel forecasts that the value of the mobile app market will be £3,027.6m in 2022.
- 62% of smartphone and tablet owners use messaging apps daily.
- 36% of Brits who own a smartphone or tablet use a map app to help them find personalised recommendations of things to do in a new city.
- 65% of UK mobile and tablet owners agree that they would be interested in an app that bundles video and music streaming services together.
Future Mobile App Market Trends
Functionality such as virtual reality opens up possibilities for the mobile app market as it presents opportunities for brands to engage with virtual events and features. For example, fashion brands will have the chance to host digital shows where consumers can shop and try things virtually. Creating this content for the most committed users of a brand’s app can boost engagement and generate mobile app market growth opportunities.
To discover more about the UK Mobile Device Apps Market Report 2022, read our UK Digital Lives of Consumers Market Report 2022, or take a look at our Technology Market Research Reports.
Quickly Understand
- The impact of the cost of living on the mobile app market growth.
- Competitive strategies of companies operating in the mobile app market.
- Key factors driving the mobile app market and forecasts the mobile app market size.
- How frequently consumers use different categories of apps.
- Consumer attitudes towards different kinds of apps and app features, such as VR.
- Interest in travel apps, mapping apps and personal finance apps.
Covered in this Report
Products: Mobile apps compatible with iOS, Android or Windows 10 Mobile
Brands: Apple (Apple App Store, Apple Music, FaceTime), Google (Google Play), Amazon, Pokemon, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, John Lewis, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Ocado, Tesco, Zoom, Samsung (Galaxy), eBay, Vinted, Money Dashboard, Yolt, EDF, Bulb, Meerkat, Klarna, Deliveroo, Peloton, Clear Score, Getir, Freetrade, Moonpig, Snapchat, Uber Eats, TikTok, GoPuff, Tesco, Olio, TooGoodToGo, Top Cashback, Pinterest.
Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the Technology Sector
This report, written by Joe Birch, a leading analyst in the technology sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the UK mobile app market and add expert context to the numbers.
The mobile app market has seen a slight drop-off from the highs of the pandemic and with the cost of living crisis, premium content and in-app extras are likely to suffer as consumers prioritise essential spending. Nevertheless, the market is poised to see even more traction with apps that can aggregate different services and content, delivering greater opportunities for sustained connections with consumers.”
Joe Birch
Consumer Technology Analyst
Table of Contents
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Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Market context
- Products covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- The five-year outlook for mobile device apps
- Figure 1: Category outlook, 2022-27
- The market
- Slowdown in mobile app market’s relentless growth, but opportunities will still abound for brands longer term
- Figure 2: Market forecast for mobile device apps, 2017-27
- Brands will continue to branch out to create super-apps
- Pandemic uptick in hours spent using mobile apps continued in 2021
- Figure 3: Quarterly hours spent on mobile apps by category, 2020-21
- Number of apps on app stores increases 10% in 2021
- Figure 4: Cumulative number of apps released by app stores, 2017-21
- Companies and brands
- Apple has AR in its sights while Samsung focuses on foldable devices
- Google aims to make search more natural and helpful
- TikTok rolls out more shopping and business solutions
- Amazon aims to add cost saving for those using the Alexa app
- Niantic look to create platform for real-world immersive apps
- The consumer
- The line between messaging and social apps will continue to blur
- Figure 5: Use of mobile device apps, 2022
- Maps can provide more personalised recommendations
- Figure 6: Interest in features of mapping apps, 2022
- Discounting and cashback apps look set to gain prominence due to cost of living crisis
- Figure 7: Interest in personal finance and money-saving apps, 2022
- Create a personal tour manager in an app
- Figure 8: Interest in features of a travel app, 2022
- Create immersive app-based retail experiences for curious consumers
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards mobile device apps, 2022
- Give consumers an incentive to download an app
- Apps that bundle services and content can help consumers with cost of living pressures
- Figure 10: Attitudes towards mobile device apps, 2022
- The five-year outlook for mobile device apps
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Issues and Insights
- Financial management apps can help consumers battle cost of living crisis
- With an abundance of choice for consumers, converging multiple features on one app will help them stand out
- Interactive features will boost engagement
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Market Size and Performance
- Market slows in second half of 2021
- Mobile gaming continues to power overall revenues in 2022
- Figure 11: Consumer spend on App Store and Google Play Store apps and games, 2014-21 and H1 2022
- Slowdown of overall app and gaming categories in July 2022
- Figure 12: Consumer spend on App Store and Google Play Store apps and games, 2019-22
- Figure 13: Market size for consumer spend on mobile device apps, 2017-22
- Apple’s new privacy features in 2021 dented apps’ fortunes
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Market Forecast
- Mobile device apps market to reduce slightly in 2022
- Figure 14: Category outlook, 2022-27
- Slowdown in mobile apps market’s relentless growth, but opportunities will still abound for brands longer term
- Figure 15: Market forecast for consumer spend on mobile device apps, 2017-27
- Gaming will continue to evolve and can benefit from AR and immersive metaverse games
- Metaverse app experiences can help boost brands’ virtual presence and drive revenue-generating opportunities
- Brands will continue to branch out to super-apps
- Learning from the last income squeeze
- Forecast methodology
- Mobile device apps market to reduce slightly in 2022
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Market Segmentation
- Pandemic uptick in time spent on apps continued in 2021
- Figure 16: Quarterly hours spent on mobile apps by category, 2020-21
- Travel apps rebound in 2021 as tourism opportunities open up
- Time using food and drink apps continued to soar in 2021
- Figure 17: Quarterly sessions using food and drink apps, 2019-21
- COVID-19’s ongoing presence sees NHS apps continue to appear in top 10 in 2021
- Figure 18: Top 10 downloaded apps, 2021
- Pandemic uptick in time spent on apps continued in 2021
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Market Drivers
- Inflation is the key concern for consumers and brands
- As a result of cost pressures, consumers’ financial sentiment hits a 13-year low
- Figure 19: Household financial sentiment index, 2009-22
- 5G and full fibre roll-out will lay foundation for mobile app development
- Blockchain will give rise to more decentralised apps
- Android is the leading smartphone operating system
- Figure 20: Smartphone operating system, 2021-22
- Increasing smartphone ownership among older people can boost app uptake
- Figure 21: Personal ownership of smartphones by age, 2018-22
- Number of apps on app stores increases 10% in 2021
- Figure 22: Cumulative number of apps released by app stores, 2017-21
- Parents are open to a premium app experience
- Figure 23: Attitudes towards technology, 2022
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Competitive Strategies
- Brands look to innovative ways to aid consumer discovery
- Google aims to make search more natural and helpful…
- …as consumers look to social apps to search for information
- Brands look to boost commerce propositions via apps
- TikTok rolls out more shopping and business solutions
- Uber Eats showcases new voice ordering via Google Assistant and robot delivery
- Brands look to build accessibility awareness and features into apps
- As the cost of living crisis escalates, brands will look to promote money-saving apps
- Amazon aims to add cost saving for those using the Alexa app
- Greater visibility over all financial affairs will also become important for consumers
- Augmented reality continues to be a focus for big brands
- Apple and Google build towards AR headset releases
- Niantic look to create platform for real-world immersive apps
- Snapchat partners with Vogue to create AR fashion exhibit
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Advertising and Marketing Activity
- Growth in advertising spend in 12 months to July 2022
- Apple’s new advertising platform could offer a premium option for brands to stand out
- Figure 24: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure of mobile device apps 2017/18-2021/22
- Deliveroo serves up highest campaign ad spend
- Figure 25: Top 10 mobile device app advertising campaigns, 2021-22
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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Use of Mobile Device Apps
- The line between messaging and social apps will continue to blur
- Verified business and government messaging accounts can help prevent fraud
- Figure 26: Use of mobile device apps, 2022
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- Figure 27: Use of mobile device apps, 2022
- Encourage co-viewing experiences in companion apps
- As the cost of living bites, food and grocery apps have an opportunity to create convenient value-driven propositions
- Big delivery apps have an opportunity to reduce waste and deliver value
- Figure 28: Use of food delivery apps, by financial situation, 2022
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Features of Mapping Apps
- Focus on building a presence in mapping apps to boost brand awareness for local businesses
- Promote inclusive accessibility features in map listings
- Figure 29: Interest in features of mapping apps, 2022
- Maps can provide more personalised recommendations
- Figure 30: Interest in features of mapping apps, by generation, 2022
- Immersive map features can allow consumers to visualise a visit before leaving the house
- Maps will evolve to offer digital replicas of real worlds and become metaverses in their own right
- Adding features to a mapping app can boost usership
- Figure 31: TURF Analysis – Mobile Device Apps, 2022
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Personal Finance and Utility Apps
- Discounting and cashback apps to gain prominence as cost of living crisis bites
- Figure 32: Interest in personal finance and money-saving apps, 2022
- Use apps to create dynamic personalised interactions
- Figure 33: Interest in discounting and cashback apps, by financial situation, 2022
- As the energy crisis deepens, encourage consumers to track and manage utility spend
- Figure 34: Use of finance and personal money management tools, by use of finance and personal money management tools, 2022
- Matter protocol will bring with it greater understanding of energy use
- A super-app to help consumers economise and save with everyday spending
- Discounting and cashback apps to gain prominence as cost of living crisis bites
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Travel Apps
- Create a personal tour manager in an app
- Figure 35: Interest in features of a travel app, 2022
- Families are warm targets for having the convenience of all holiday admin in one place
- Figure 36: Interest in features of a travel app, by dual-parent families, 2022
- Apps can help provide practical assistance for holidaymakers
- Bundle features to make your app the only one consumers will need
- Figure 37: Interest in travel app features, by interest in travel app features, 2022
- Create a personal tour manager in an app
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Attitudes towards Mobile Device Apps
- New image search features can boost product discoverability
- Young men and young families have highest interested in image recognition feature
- Figure 38: Attitudes towards mobile device apps, 2022
- While platforms are pulling back on live shopping experiments, the concept still has strong appeal
- Promote dynamic pricing via live shopping retail apps
- Connect with younger consumers in emerging metaverse apps
- Upsell tracking app for consumers’ most important items
- Figure 39: Attitudes towards mobile device apps, 2022
- Give consumers an audit of the environmental impact of their lifestyles
- Figure 40: Mobile Device Apps – CHAID – Tree output, 2022
- Help consumers benchmark sustainable behaviours
- Give consumers an incentive to download an app
- Figure 41: Attitudes towards mobile device apps, 2022
- Apps that bundle entertainment services and content can help consumers with cost of living pressures
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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Appendix – Forecast Methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals for mobile device apps sector
- Figure 42: Lower bound, central and upper bound forecast for mobile device apps, 2022-27
- Market drivers and assumptions
- Forecast methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals for mobile device apps sector
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TURF Analysis – Mobile Device Apps – September 2022
- Methodology
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- Figure 43: TURF Analysis – Mobile Device Apps, 2022
- Figure 44: Table – TURF Analysis – Mobile Device Apps, 2022
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CHAID Analysis – Mobile Device Apps – September 2022
- Methodology
- Figure 45: Mobile Device Apps – CHAID – Tree output, 2022
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- Figure 46: Mobile Device Apps – CHAID – Table output, 2022
- Methodology
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