Distimo/MEF Report Looks at Apps in Emerging Markets

Distimo, the mobile app store analytics company, and the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), have announced a strategic partnership that includes the publication of a new report on the emerging markets in the Apple App Store. The emerging markets covered in the report are Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with data from the US included for comparison purposes.
The major findings of the report are:

• The most popular applications are priced higher in the Emerging Markets than in the United States. Average prices have decreased in both regions however, since December 1, 2009.
• Applications in the Navigation and Medical categories are most expensive in the emerging markets, as in the US. The average price of the most popular applications in the Finance, Medical, Navigation and Reference categories is higher however, in the emerging markets than in the US due to a multitude of expensive applications that are only popular in the emerging markets.
• Games are more popular in the US than in the emerging markets. 56% of the most popular applications in the US are games, compared to only 29% in the emerging markets. The difference is even larger when it comes to revenue generation: 54% of the highest grossing applications in the US are games, compared to only 17% in the emerging markets.
• Instant messaging (IM) applications are among the most popular applications in the emerging markets of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Examples include WhatsApp Messenger, Live Messenger and Easy IM Free.

“We’re delighted to welcome Distimo as a member and strategic partner,” says MEF Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter. “The partnership represents a ‘win-win’ for both parties since it gives Distimo a great platform to share their unique analytics with MEF’s member companies, while enhancing membership value through exclusive market insight. Distimo’s first MEF report offers our members a fascinating snapshot of App Stores across the Middle East, comparing and contrasting the results with data from the United States.”
The full report is available exclusively to Mobile Entertainment Forum members.