This isn’t to say that the demand of apps has gone down. In fact Gartner’s research director Brian Blau states that smartphone users are just as excited about new apps as they were before, but instead of simply downloading and using any new app that pops up, users must now be convinced of its value.
According to Blau, “It’s not that smartphone users have lost interest in apps, users remain excited about what apps can do for them in their daily lives, including for work and nonwork app scenarios. However, app users need to be convinced about the value of the app.” Fitness apps are a prime example of users being discerning in their choices.
Gartner found that fitness apps were only installed on about 23% of handsets in the US, but despite the relatively low install base, 70% users who had those apps installed used it at least once a week, suggesting that if a user found an app they would stick with it as long as it works, as opposed to back in the day where users could jump from app to app.