Mobile application trends for 2012: the top ten applications

Posted on June 22nd, 2010 by Posted by: buongiorno

Market researcher Gartner has pinpointed the top ten consumer mobile applications it predicts will dominate the market in 2012.

The most popular will include mobile money transfers, location-based services and mobile search.

In the past, consumers purchased mobile phones based on built-in features. With the arrival of smartphone operating systems capable of running third-party applications, consumers were free to customize their devices.

Future mobile trends point to a widening of this sector, with third-party applications breaking into the mainstream mobile market and many lower-priced handsets.

"Consumer mobile applications and services are no longer the prerogative of mobile carriers," said Sandy Shen, research director at Gartner. "The increasing consumer interest in smartphones, the participation of internet players in the mobile space, and the emergence of application stores and cross-industry services are reducing the dominance of mobile carriers. Each player will influence how the application is delivered and experienced by consumers, who ultimately vote with their attention and spending power."

Gartner's list of top ten consumer mobile applications for 2012 comprises:

1: Money Transfer
2: Location-Based Services
3: Mobile Search
4: Mobile Browsing
5: Mobile Health Monitoring
6: Mobile Payment
7: Near Field Communication Services
8: Mobile Advertising
9: Mobile Instant Messaging
10: Mobile Musi