Data from the Mobile Consumer Trends database shows that the number of app users in the US will grow 27% next year, from a total of 116.37 million end-2011 to 148.2 million end-2012.

The growth is primarily being driven by users with android smartphones – up 27.1 million, or 65%, with app users on iPhones growing by 8.3 million, or 29%. mobile^SQUARED forecasts that app usage on other smartphone devices will actually fall by 9%, primarily in tandem with the demise of Blackberry, while usage on featurephones will be down 6%.

Overall, the market share of app usage is shifting inexorably towards Android, with the OS accounting for 36% of total app users in 2011 and 46% in 2012. iPhone is forecast to increase market share from 24% to 25%, while ‘other’ smartphones will drop from 18% to 13%. Featurephones will also lose market share of app users over the same period – falling from 22% to 16%.
gavin@mobilesquared.co.uk