Report: iOS app downloads up 83 percent

Market analysis firm Fiksu has released its analysis of of the aggregate download volumes of the top 200 free iOS applications and finds Apple has a lot to smile about: during November 2011, app downloads were up 83 percent compared to the same time a year ago. Fisku attributes the increase to the influx of new iPhone 4S customers, as well as apps updating to support iOS 5 and its new features.

During November, app downloads peaked at 5.65 million per day; that’s also 15 percent higher than October’s previous record high of 4.91 million apps per day.

“Unlike October’s intermittent spikes in downloads and costs, November saw a steady increase in demand for app downloads without any notable fluctuations in mobile app marketing costs—even over Thanksgiving weekend,” said Fiksu CEO Micah Adler, in a statement

Fiksu also produced a “Cost per Loyal User” index, an aggregate measure of the amount of money brands have to spend on marketing their apps to acquire a loyal user. Overall, Fiksu found that cost peaked at $1.64 per user in September 2011, but dropped to $1.47 in October and dipped again in November to $1.43, meaning brands and developers are having to spend less money on advertising to attract and retain the same number of users.

Fiksu attributes this to users’ strong level of engagement with the iPhone 4S and other iOS devices: when users get a new device like the iPhone 4S, they tend to have a lot of enthusiasm and strong appetite for apps that wanes over time. Fiksu interprets November’s increase in app downloads—well after the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 launches, and even with the disruption of the Thanksgiving weekend—as a sign iOS users remain strongly engages with their devices well after purchase. And, with estimates of iPhone sales ramping up to 30 million by the end of the year, Fiksu expects iOS app downloads will continue to increase.

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