New study shows extent of Canadian App usage

Mark McKenna
June 30, 2011
2 Comments

mobile gamingA new Ispos Reid study has revealed just how much mobile App mania has hit Canada. Mobile gaming is certainly a growing market and there those who believe that mobile apps will continue to boom. The Ispos Reid study has shown that Canadians in particular have taken to mobile Apps particularly gaming Apps.

According to Ipsos Reid’s recent Mobil-logy Study of Smartphone, Tablet & eReader users in Canada approximately three in every four Mobile Device users report having downloaded at least one App to their mobile device (71% of Smartphone users and 80% of Tablet users).
However, the study, which was conducted in February of this year, also shows that just 23% of online adult Canadians (18+) own a true Smartphone (this excludes web-enabled phones) and 3% of the same own a Tablet.

Mary Beth Barbour, Senior Vice President of Ipsos Reid said in the release of the study that, “In absolute terms, usage across Canada is still relatively small, but for marketers, there are great opportunities to create engaged consumers by creating engaging Apps…When we consider that 71% of the 23% of Smartphone users have downloaded an App, that equates to 16% of the online adult population in Canada and for Tablets it translates to 2%. The importance, however, of Apps can not be downplayed. We believe they are fundamental to device engagement and as mobile penetration becomes mainstream, so too will the proportion of App users in Canada.”

As for the online gaming industry, it’s worth noting that with the App market expected to see continued growth, finding engaging gaming apps for users will be paramount. Across the pond, Rank Interactive and mkodo are already looking to capitalize on the app market with their recent release of an Andorid bingo app based on the hit reality TV series Britain’s Got Talent.

The study recognizes that the experience with Apps varies considerably among Smartphone users, depending on the operating system of their device. The study revealed that almost every iPhone user has downloaded an App (96%) By comparison, far fewer BlackBerry users have done the same (59%) and Android users fall somewhere in between (66%).

Barbour elaborates on the significance of the varying operating systems saying, “Results from our Mobil-ology study suggest that Smartphones and Tablets represent two very different value propositions for their users…The Smartphone in principal delivers on utility, yet the Tablet fundamentally serves an entertainment purpose. Where we do see similarities between the two mobile devices relates to the genres of Apps Canadians are using. Regardless of device, Weather and Gaming Apps top the list in terms of popularity.”

With Gaming Apps topping the list in terms of popularity in a market that is expected to continue to expand, it almost goes without saying that online gaming operators that have not developed or are not in the process of developing a mobile gaming app, particularly for tablet users run the risk of being left behind the times.

If you have any further information related to this story that you would like to share with us privately please click here.

Can't get enough CalvinAyre.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, then you'll never miss out on the latest gaming industry news.

Share
Tags: Article, Ispos Reid, mobile gaming, smartphone apps
Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com