Top Ten App Downloads For 2011

US analysts Distimo have compiled an end-of-year overview of the current state of the app download market, including a top ten list of the most popular apps across every platform.  Fans of the Angry Birds game have been as busy as ever, pushing it into three slots in the top ten.

Alongside handset sales—which are more interesting in terms of sheer numbers rather than the amounts of money they generate—online app stores are a real treasure trove for smartphone manufacturers.  They're still battling it out to seduce new developers, and as a result, the two biggest stores, the Apple AppStore and the Google Android Market, now have 600 000 and 500 000 apps available for download respectively.

This chart shows the ten most downloaded apps across all of 2011 across every platform:




Once again, those irritable little birds top the table.  Angry Birds, which is now the most downloaded game in history, cost Finnish studio Rovio around $100 000 to make, and brought in more than $100 million this year alone.  Alternative versions of Angry Birds (Rio and Seasons) take up the fourth and seventh places in the table.

Facebook gets the second spot, despite being pre-installed on the majority of smartphones.  According to the latest figures from the social network, almost half—350 million—of its 800 million strong user base stays connected while mobile.

The third biggest app was Skype, which is no surprise given that it allows users to make free calls.

Distimo's analysis of the US market has confirmed that once again, Apple's platform generates the most revenue, and is the most profitable across the 200 most popular apps.  According to other figures from Piper Jaffray, the AppStore scoops up around 85% of all money spent on mobile downloads.  The same report estimates that the average price of an Apple app is $2.01 where as Android apps are closer to $3.79.




In terms of volume, the AppStore was still the biggest download platform in 2011, but the Android Market is catching up fast.

One area where Android Market does beat the AppStore is with free apps: users of Android and iOS don't see apps in the same way, with the former very fond of free apps but the latter perfectly prepared to buy one or two.

Finally, the same figures reveal that the situation is broadly similar with games, with the biggest downloads found on the iPhone, followed by Android devices and the iPad with Windows Phone in fourth place.

> Phone Reviews: Mobiles & Smartphones


> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products