Most mobile phone users do not download applications, or hardly ever use them, according to voice over IP program developer Skype.
A new report from the company, which is owned by auction house eBay, shows that while the success of the Apple App Store has been widespread, Apple holds just 2% of the total mobile phone market.
The survey of 3000 phone users over several countries shows 67% do not have as much control of their phone as they do of a computer, and 70% have never downloaded a mobile program.
The company says that carriers are to blame, as results show that when mobile phone providers have less control over a user’s mobile, the number of users who download applications increases.
“This is a clear signal to everyone in the communications industry – mobile networks, device manufacturers, and software companies like Skype – to work together to deliver what mobile users like you want – the freedom to install what you want, where you want it,” Scott Durchslag wrote on Skype’s blog.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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