What Cell Phone to get for Gaming
Games are without a doubt the most popular category for smartphone apps. According to market research, iPhone users are the ones who love their games. They spend more hours playing every month compared to other smartphone users. Research also shows iPhone users are willing to pay more for game apps than other apps. Statistics show 93% of iPhone users were willing to pay for a game, while only 76% of consumers were willing to pay for a news app.
What About Other Types of Apps?
The close second behind games is entertainment, with 87% of customers willing to pay for an entertainment app. 84% of customers are willing to pay for productivity apps. Maps, search, and navigation apps are tied with 84% of consumers willing to pay for those as well. 77% of customers are willing to pay for food apps – so news apps come in last. Though customers are willing to pay, there’s no definitive answer about how much they are willing to pay.
In terms of popularity, games come in at the top with 64%. Weather comes in second at 60%. At 56%, Social Networking apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram come in third. In fourth place, Maps, Navigation, and Search come in at 51%. In fifth place, Music apps come in at 44%. The bottom five app types are: Food/Drink with 18%, Travel with 18%, Health with 13%, Education and Learning with 11%, and Household and Personal care with 6%.
Who Plays What?
Windows 7 phone users, iPhone, and Android users play games they download onto their device. Only 14% of iPhone users games played are preloaded on the device, compared to 19% of Android, and 63% of Blackberry users. Those who use Blackberry or other platforms typically play only the games that come pre-loaded onto their device. This indicates Blackberry attracts a different type of user – one that doesn’t want to take the time to explore the types of games available on the market. Because Blackberry seems to be the most attractive phone in the corporate business world – it makes sense these owners would not be interested in gaming as much as other smartphone owners.
How Much Time is Spent Playing Game Apps?
Market research also indicates the average mobile user spends 7.8 hours a month playing games. iPhone users however, spend nearly double that, with 14.7 hours of monthly game play. Blackberry users spend only 4.5 hours per month of gameplay – most likely due to the fact that business people are the primary users of this type of smartphone.
While many games are available for multiple platforms, iPhone users are definitely the ones who take mobile gaming most seriously. As a game developer, focus on an iPhone audience, and then expand to the Android and Windows Phone markets. As a smartphone owner, if you are interested in gaming, step away from the Blackberry and move to either the iPhone or the Android market.
