Nielsen Releases Top 10 iPhone Apps of 2012

MacRumors · Dec 21, 2012, 03:25 PM

Nielsen yesterday released its digital "Tops of 2012" statistics, which included the top 10 iOS apps of 2012, based on average unique users. The study took place from Q1 2012 to Q3 2012 and also happened to find that this was the first year where smartphone owners became the majority of mobile phone users with 56% by the end of Q3.

Four of the top 10 iPhone apps are stock iOS apps, as YouTube and Maps are likely referring to the versions of the app bundled in with iOS 5 and earlier rather than the newer versions that launched in the past couple of months, as the new versions likely wouldn't have had the time to make a significant impact on the statistics. Nielsen notes that Facebook Messenger was the fastest growing iPhone app.

In fact, Facebook controlled three of the top 10 in Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Instagram while Google, at this point, controlled none of the top 10.

Maps averaged 32 million unique users a month while YouTube averaged 22 million, Stocks averaged 21 million and Weather averaged 20 million uniques a month.

The study also found that Android sits atop smartphone marketshare with 52% with iOS in second at 35%. Blackberry OS came in third at 7%, Windows Phone with 2% and the rest made up the remaining 5% of the marketshare pie. The statistics come from Nielsen's Smartphone Panel, which uses on-device meters at the aggregate level to find out mobile web and app activity level.

Article Link: Nielsen Releases Top 10 iPhone Apps of 2012

ndavid126 · Dec 21, 2012, 03:31 PM

How does Google control none of the top ten if youtube is there? Doesn't Youtube count?

srxtr · Dec 21, 2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndavid126

How does Google control none of the top ten if youtube is there? Doesn't Youtube count?

Um

Quote:

..... as YouTube and Maps are likely referring to the versions of the app bundled in with iOS 5 and earlier rather than the newer versions that launched in the past couple of months...

jessica. · Dec 21, 2012, 03:40 PM

Stocks, that is the iOS stock app? There are so many more that excel.

I loves me some Pandora though.

charlieegan3 · Dec 21, 2012, 03:53 PM

If you think about it almost every user will go though the stock apps when they get the device - therefor their 'success' is far from meaningful. It's the third party apps that are interesting - the apps that people go and get independently.

I would be interested to see not only unique users but also time spent - I bet stocks wouldn't be so massive then.

nrose101 · Dec 21, 2012, 03:53 PM

Note to self...next year Movie Clock will be on that list

upthetoffees · Dec 21, 2012, 04:05 PM

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

olowott · Dec 21, 2012, 04:07 PM

Maps

u sure

rmwebs · Dec 21, 2012, 04:15 PM

That maps result may be very, VERY skewed.

The results include all versions of iOS. This means that 'Maps' will be counting those on iOS5 and lower - which is the Google version, as well as the newer Apple version.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/chrome/id535886823?mt=8

"Desktop Mode"

fr33 loader · Dec 21, 2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

Get an Android... Got bigger screen too...

mrsir2009 · Dec 21, 2012, 05:17 PM

I didnt expect maps and stocks to be that popular, but facebook certainly isnt a suprise...

ArtOfWarfare · Dec 21, 2012, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

I can see it on my iPhone 4S running iOS 6 just fine?

mrsir2009 · Dec 21, 2012, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

Why cant you?

Joesmith13245 · 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

Why cant you?

I can barely see it on my iPhone 5. Zoom does not appear to work. It's viewable, but definitely could be better.

Update: when turned to landscape it's MUCH better.

goobot · Dec 21, 2012, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr33 loader

Get an Android... Got bigger screen too...

Nah, get a tv, even bigger screen.

nagromme · Dec 21, 2012, 06:39 PM

Oh no!

Stocks and Weather are in the top 10!

This shakes my world view.

SnowLeopard OSX · Dec 21, 2012, 06:53 PM

Wow. Maps is already in 1st place? Wasn't it released like last week? Haha, that's crazy. Nice list, though. Hopefully that year to date % change for YouTube really sends a message to Google to finally optimize their YouTube mobile app -- it's pretty messy at the moment.

Thanks for posting this.

Spanky Deluxe · Dec 21, 2012, 08:48 PM

The fact that Stocks is number four on the list suggests Nielsen's study is flawed. Nobody uses that.

mrsir2009 · Dec 21, 2012, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goobot

Nah, get a tv, even bigger screen.

Nah, get a projector, even bigger screen

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joesmith13245

I can barely see it on my iPhone 5. Zoom does not appear to work. It's viewable, but definitely could be better.

Update: when turned to landscape it's MUCH better.

Well thats just because the zoom on your iphone isnt working, isnt it? Its not macrumor's fault.

fr33 loader · Dec 21, 2012, 09:38 PM

I get it..

Projector> TV> Note 2> iPhone 5 to read MacRumors!

Kingsley Aghedo · Dec 22, 2012, 07:39 AM

Smartphone owners became the majority of mobile phone users for the first time this year, growing from 49 percent of mobile subscribers in Q1 2012, to 56 percent by Q3 2012. Mobile app usage also continued to grow. Among the top 10 mobile apps, Facebook Messenger grew the most among iPhone apps, and Twitter was the fastest growing Android app.

tgara · Dec 22, 2012, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Deluxe

The fact that Stocks is number four on the list suggests Nielsen's study is flawed. Nobody uses that.

You sound like Pauline Kael, who famously said after the 1972 election "couldn't believe Nixon had won", since no one she knew had voted for him.

bretm · Dec 22, 2012, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Deluxe

The fact that Stocks is number four on the list suggests Nielsen's study is flawed. Nobody uses that.

I use it every day. Sits right there in notification center. Ditto with weather. Why would I use a stock app that doesn't go into notification center? I have TD Ameritrade, but it has to be launched.

Garsun · Dec 22, 2012, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthetoffees

Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!

Zoom is working on mine

quietstormSD · Dec 23, 2012, 04:50 PM

Not surprising, it's either stock iOS apps or Facebook apps

Dec 21, 2012, 03:25 PM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Nielsen Releases Top 10 iPhone Apps of 2012 Nielsen yesterday released its digital "Tops of 2012" statistics, which included the top 10 iOS apps of 2012, based on average unique users. The study took place from Q1 2012 to Q3 2012 and also happened to find that this was the first year where smartphone owners became the majority of mobile phone users with 56% by the end of Q3. Four of the top 10 iPhone apps are stock iOS apps, as YouTube and Maps are likely referring to the versions of the app bundled in with iOS 5 and earlier rather than the newer versions that launched in the past couple of months, as the new versions likely wouldn't have had the time to make a significant impact on the statistics. Nielsen notes that Facebook Messenger was the fastest growing iPhone app. In fact, Facebook controlled three of the top 10 in Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Instagram while Google, at this point, controlled none of the top 10. Maps averaged 32 million unique users a month while YouTube averaged 22 million, Stocks averaged 21 million and Weather averaged 20 million uniques a month. The study also found that Android sits atop smartphone marketshare with 52% with iOS in second at 35%. Blackberry OS came in third at 7%, Windows Phone with 2% and the rest made up the remaining 5% of the marketshare pie. The statistics come from Nielsen's Smartphone Panel, which uses on-device meters at the aggregate level to find out mobile web and app activity level. Article Link: Nielsen Releases Top 10 iPhone Apps of 2012
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 03:31 PM	#2
ndavid126 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chicago, Illinois	How does Google control none of the top ten if youtube is there? Doesn't Youtube count? __________________ Follow me on Twitter.
	3

Dec 21, 2012, 03:40 PM	#4
jessica. macrumors Nehalem Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Wrong girl from the right side of the tracks	Stocks, that is the iOS stock app? There are so many more that excel. I loves me some Pandora though. __________________ Because I'm an ahole.
	1

Dec 21, 2012, 03:53 PM	#5
charlieegan3 macrumors 68020 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: U.K	If you think about it almost every user will go though the stock apps when they get the device - therefor their 'success' is far from meaningful. It's the third party apps that are interesting - the apps that people go and get independently. I would be interested to see not only unique users but also time spent - I bet stocks wouldn't be so massive then. __________________ www.charlieegan3.com
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 03:53 PM	#6
nrose101 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Delray Beach, FL	Note to self...next year Movie Clock will be on that list __________________ Never Miss A New Release! Countdown with Movie Clock for iPhone. http://flck.it/clock
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 04:05 PM	#7
upthetoffees macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2012	Shame I can't read the top 10 on an iphone, Macrumors!
	1

Dec 21, 2012, 04:07 PM	#8
olowott macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Dundee, UK	Maps u sure __________________ 2011 13" Macbook pr-- iPhone 4s 16gb -- iPAD 2 32gb
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 05:17 PM	#11
mrsir2009 macrumors 604 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand	I didnt expect maps and stocks to be that popular, but facebook certainly isnt a suprise... __________________ How to Prevent your Mac from Overheating
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 06:39 PM	#16
nagromme macrumors G4 Join Date: May 2002	Oh no! Stocks and Weather are in the top 10! This shakes my world view. __________________ nagromme What happens when corporations buy the government? Americans have returned to receiving 1960s wages, despite being twice as productive.
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 06:53 PM	#17
SnowLeopard OSX macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Southern California	Wow. Maps is already in 1st place? Wasn't it released like last week? Haha, that's crazy. Nice list, though. Hopefully that year to date % change for YouTube really sends a message to Google to finally optimize their YouTube mobile app -- it's pretty messy at the moment. Thanks for posting this. __________________ iPad 4th gen Black/ 32GB/ iOS 6.1.3 iMac G4 1.0 GHz/ 1.25 GHz PPCG4 (7445) iPod \|Classic Black/ 80GB\|U2 edition 20GB iPhone \|4S White/16GB/ iOS 6.1.3\|3G White/16GB iOS 4.2.1
	0

Dec 21, 2012, 08:48 PM	#18
Spanky Deluxe macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London, UK	The fact that Stocks is number four on the list suggests Nielsen's study is flawed. Nobody uses that. __________________ "No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."
	3

Dec 21, 2012, 09:38 PM	#20
fr33 loader macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2007	I get it.. Projector> TV> Note 2> iPhone 5 to read MacRumors!
	0

Dec 22, 2012, 07:39 AM	#21
Kingsley Aghedo macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	Smartphone owners became the majority of mobile phone users for the first time this year, growing from 49 percent of mobile subscribers in Q1 2012, to 56 percent by Q3 2012. Mobile app usage also continued to grow. Among the top 10 mobile apps, Facebook Messenger grew the most among iPhone apps, and Twitter was the fastest growing Android app.
	0

Dec 23, 2012, 04:50 PM	#25
quietstormSD macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Diego, CA	Not surprising, it's either stock iOS apps or Facebook apps __________________ Early 2011 13" MBP 2.3GHz Intel Core i5; iPhone 4S 32GB white on at&t; iPod Shuffle 4th gen Twitter: @KarchInSD
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