New Pew Report: The Rise of the Apps Culture

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project released a new report on September 15 titled The Rise of the Apps Culture. The report takes a look at cell phone use in the United States and how it has increased and changed over the past decade. The project surveyed 1,917 cell phone users. Here’s a list of some of the key findings from the report:

• Eight in ten adults today (82%) are cell phone users.
• About one-quarter of adults (23%) now live in a household that has a cell phone but no landline phone.
• 11% of cell phone owners are not sure if their phone is equipped with apps.
• 35% of adults have cell phones with apps, but only two-thirds of those who have apps actually use them.
• 29% have downloaded an app to their phone, and/or
• 38% have purchased a phone with preloaded apps
• App use still ranks relatively low when compared with other uses of cell phones.
• One in ten adult cell phone users (10%) had downloaded an app in the past week; 20% of cell phone users under age 30 download apps this frequently
• One in eight adult cell phone users (13%) has paid to download an app
• Among cell phone users with apps, the average adult has 18 apps on his or her phone.

The report also includes data from a December 2009 Nielsen Company Apps Playbook survey that included 3,962 adult cell phone subscribers who had downloaded an app in the previous 30 days. Here’s some basic findings from the Nielsen survey:

• Most recent apps downloaders said they used their apps daily but for short periods of time, and used them in a variety of situations.
• Different people may use apps in different ways.
• Cell phone screen real estate is valuable.

Check out the entire 46 page Pew report PDF linked here for details.