Facebook, Google Maps lead app usage across platforms

Facebook, Google Maps and the Weather Channel are the most popular applications across rival smartphone platforms according to survey data compiled by The Nielsen Company. Thirty-nine percent of smartphone owners used the Facebook social networking app in the last 30 days--it is the most popular app on the iPhone (used by 58 percent of consumers) and BlackBerry (39 percent), and the second most popular on Android (51 percent). Google Maps is second across smartphone platforms, used by 33 percent of consumers in the last 30 days--it's the most popular app among Android owners (used by 67 percent), second on BlackBerry (34 percent) and third on iPhone (47 percent, 1 percentage point behind Apple's iTunes). The Weather Channel is third across smartphone platforms, used by 21 percent of consumers in the last month. Music recommendation app Pandora followed at 20 percent, trailed by video site YouTube at 19 percent.

Nielsen notes that 14 percent of mobile subscribers have downloaded an application over the last 30 days--the average number of apps per smartphone is 22, compared to 10 on feature phones. iPhone users lead among total apps, with an average of 37 per device--Android is next at 22, followed by Palm (14 apps), Windows Mobile (13 apps) and BlackBerry (10 apps).

Gaming leads among all mobile app categories--65 percent of smartphone users who used an app in the last 30 days played a game. News/Weather followed at 56 percent, narrowly slipping past Maps/Navigation/Search (55 percent) and Social Networking (54 percent).

For more on Nielsen's App Playbook:
- see this slideshow
- read this Nielsen Wire blog entry

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