2019 app roundup: Tinder, Netflix in top non-gaming list, Candy Crush Saga & PUBG Mobile favourite games
Games offering in-app purchases continued to lead overall rankings.
By Bloomberg | Updated:
Agencies
Tinder, Netflix & PUBG become hot favourite of users in 2019, top Annie's 2019 ranking.
By Vlad Savov
Tinder, Netflix Inc. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. took the top three spots in App Annie’s 2019 ranking of consumer spending on non-gaming apps, underlining the growing importance of subscription services for generating revenue.
Games offering in-app purchases of virtual currency and upgrades, commonly called microtransactions, continued to lead overall rankings, with video subscriptions dominating the rest of the field. Even before the much-anticipated Disney+ and Apple TV+ services have taken off, Baidu Inc.’s iQiyi, Google’s YouTube and Alibaba Group Holding’s Youku all ranked in the top 10 apps by revenue. This comes in a year when App Annie said total new app downloads and consumer spending will both break records, judging from data collected from January to November.
Tinder’s leading position should not be a surprise, said App Annie, as dating apps of its kind have “unlocked the keys to monetization through subscriptions” and their combined annual revenue has grown 920% between 2014 and 2019, exceeding $2.2 billion in the current year. Facebook Inc. retained its historic lead on overall app downloads, with the top three most-downloaded apps globally remaining Facebook Messenger, Facebook and WhatsApp for the sixth year in a row. It launched its own Facebook Dating service in September.
Tinder’s leading position should not be a surprise, said App Annie, as dating apps of its kind have “unlocked the keys to monetization through subscriptions”. By the close of 2019, App Annie said consumers will have downloaded 120 billion new apps across Apple Inc.’s iOS App Store and Google’s Play Store -- that’s without factoring in app updates, re-installations of existing apps or Android installs done via unofficial means. The number marks a 5% increase on last year, and the app-tracking company predicted the record will be broken again in 2020. Consumer revenue is said to be growing at 15% each year, with 2019 set to record close to $90 billion, another new high.
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On the gaming front, Sea Ltd.’s Free Fire, the app that has minted two billionaires already, garnered the most global downloads, followed by Tencent’s PUBG Mobile. Call of Duty: Mobile, another Tencent property, also made it into the top 10 for the year, in spite of only being released at the start of October. Sony Corp.’s Fate/Grand Order took the title as most lucrative game -- and overall app -- of the year, followed by Tencent’s Honour of Kings and perennial moneymaker Candy Crush Saga by Activision Blizzard Inc. All three games are free to play, deriving their massive revenues from small purchases of in-game perks and upgrades.
Looking for the breakout hits of the year, App Annie highlighted Likee by YY Inc., an app for sharing short videos akin to TikTok, as the one with the largest absolute growth in downloads during the year. Two more apps by the same company were in the top four: Noizz for editing video and Hago for social gaming, the latter being especially popular with young users in Indonesia, according to the researchers.
For 2020, App Annie said it expects to see each of the current trends intensifying, with video-centric apps and subscription-based services growing in importance, ubiquity and revenue.
Travel Buff? Download These Apps Before Your Next Vacay
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Take the stress out of planning your trip and explore the world with these mobile applications.
Take the stress out of planning your trip and explore the world with these mobile applications.
AR City uses a combination of augmented reality and computer vision technology to let tourists access information as they travel around cities. You can stand in a street and holding your iPhone in front of you, see virtual information such as street names, building names and local points of interest on a live image of the real world in front of you. You can also use it for basic navigation. The app is still in beta, so the amount of information available is limited, but the accuracy is promising.
Image: www.blippar.com
AR City uses a combination of augmented reality and computer vision technology to let tourists access information as they travel around cities. You can stand in a street and holding your iPhone in fr..
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It is a travel inspiration app that makes local culture globally accessible. Tourists can explore more than 300 locations around the world through the lens of passionate locals and in-house journalists. From unknown stories about Mexico’s third gender to the most Instagrammable dishes in Beijing – the app covers every area of culture including food, travel, music, sport, entertainment, fashion, art, design, health and more.
Image: play.google.com
It is a travel inspiration app that makes local culture globally accessible. Tourists can explore more than 300 locations around the world through the lens of passionate locals and in-house journalis..
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Your smartphone becomes a live-out-loud translator with this must-have app for tourists. You can have conversations in up to 38 languages by tapping the button to speak and holding to translate. The app automatically picks up which language is being spoken and becomes the middleman in your conversation. The app is free to use in its basic form but to unlock unlimited translations and multiple devices you’ll need to pay a subscription.
Image: play.google.com
Your smartphone becomes a live-out-loud translator with this must-have app for tourists. You can have conversations in up to 38 languages by tapping the button to speak and holding to translate. The ..
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This app is your travel guide for more than 600 destinations worldwide in five languages, including offline maps and a trip planner. You can put together all the details of your trip before, or even during, your journey. Add the important points of interest, shops, hotels and museums to your travel guide and you’ll get a complete route as an offline map. The app can also automatically arrange your route by the distance from your departure point.
Image: www.tripwolf.com
This app is your travel guide for more than 600 destinations worldwide in five languages, including offline maps and a trip planner. You can put together all the details of your trip before, or even ..
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GPS Tracker It is a global real-time instant messaging and tracking app that can help you stay in touch with your loved ones while you are continents away. You can see locations in multi-map views including satellite, access history, request for meeting points, instantly see who is Letstracking in your vicinity and deactivate tracking anytime. The app can also track your automobiles like cars and motorbike.
Image: play.google.com
GPS Tracker It is a global real-time instant messaging and tracking app that can help you stay in touch with your loved ones while you are continents away. You can see locations in multi-map views in..
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Klook is an indestination travel activities and service booking plat form for Asia that gives tourists a trusted way to book and enjoy over 30,000 popular attractions, local experiences and services around the world. The app of fers more than 50,000 activities and services provided by over 5,000 industry partners in over 200 destinations worldwide. It is the mostfunded company in the tours and activities sector globally.
Image: play.google.com
Klook is an indestination travel activities and service booking plat form for Asia that gives tourists a trusted way to book and enjoy over 30,000 popular attractions, local experiences and services ..
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Trip n howl is an interactive travel networking app and is a great place for tourists to connect with other travellers, plan trips and share their experiences. The app makes travel l ing abroad a lot more convenient by connecting to your favourite destinations, travel tips and more. It also helps you find your way around an unfami liar city, figure out currency conversion, translate foreign languages and avoid mobile roaming costs when contacting your loved ones anywhere in the world.
Image: play.google.com
Trip n howl is an interactive travel networking app and is a great place for tourists to connect with other travellers, plan trips and share their experiences. The app makes travel l ing abroad a lot..
