Smartphone apps account for half the time Americans spend online
Smartphone shipments may have hit a wall due to a lack of innovation, but that doesn't mean consumer use of smartphones has stopped evolving.
Recently released research from comScore shows that smartphone apps actually hit a new milestone in July, accounting for 50 percent of the time Americans spent online. The share of time spent on smartphone apps has been on an upward trajectory, ticking up from 41 percent in 2014 and 44 percent a year ago.
Mobile web browsers account for another 7 percent, while tablets account for 11 percent. The final 32 percent is spent on desktops.
The popularity of apps shouldn't come as a surprise, of course. The iPhone became a sensation thanks to app developers, and the focus of the iPhone 7 debut is likely to fall on new services.
Meanwhile, as chatbots become more sophisticated, messaging apps could soon serve as our main portal to the internet.