The Christmas Peak in App Downloads Is Weaker Than Ever

The app industry is growing up.

Consumers downloaded 11% more apps on Christmas Day this year than on Dec. 25, 2012, according to data from app analytics group Flurry. While that still makes for a record number of downloads, it is markedly slower growth than seen in recent years — an indication that the near-exponential growth of app sales in previous years will most likely never return.

"The slowing growth rates and smaller Christmas Day app download spike signal market maturation," Mary Ellen Gordon, director of industry insight and analytics at Flurry wrote in a blog post. "Fewer people are coming online with mobile for the very first time. Consumers who are on second, third or fourth devices have apps that they like and trust, and while they still download new apps, there isn’t much more impetus to do so on Christmas than any other day when they have a little downtime." Read more...