Mobile Application Development Gains Momentum in China
As mobile application development is growing, China has an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 mobile application developers catering to the approximate quarter billion mobile phone users that own smartphones, reports HQ magazine, a CSOFT International publication.
While most apps are free, Chinese users are willing to pay a premium to gain access to additional features or competitive advantages.
According to HQ, China is now the largest market for smartphones in the world, surpassing the United States in usage.
Meanwhile, McAfee has released its annual 2013 Threat Predictions report, highlighting the top threats McAfee Labs foresees for 2013.
The development and deployment of increasingly sophisticated ransomware technologies that will “lock up” a phone or tablet, and threaten to keep it that way until a ransom is paid, will be a prominent trend in 2013, says the McAfee report. (Read: Cyber Criminals to Target Your Mobiles in 2013)
While mobile marketers are pinning their hopes on content-led mobile data services, what exactly is in store for the future? Answers Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA (an association of global mobile operators) in an exclusive interview with RMN Digital managing editor, Rakesh Raman.
Mobile Application Development in China
The most popular apps in China are in the social and communication categories, with QQ and Weixin (also known as WeChat) among the favorites. One million Weixin accounts have been set up in China since the app launched in January 2011, says HQ.
[ Also Read: Have You Seen the World’s Slimmest Smartphone? ]
While the most popular and successful apps are free, Chinese users are willing to pay for upgrades once they’ve downloaded the basic app and developed a dependency on its features.
According to independent research firms, says HQ, 76 percent of the Chinese population (more than one billion people) are registered mobile phone users. The estimated revenue from Chinese mobile internet users in 2011 was $13.7 billion.
“There is a massive market as yet untapped in China,” reports HQ magazine. “Understanding what Chinese smartphone users desire in their apps is just the first step to penetrating that market.”
Photo courtesy: CSOFT International
