Mobile app stores will see annual downloads reach 102 billion in 2013, up from 64 billion in 2012, according to research firm Gartner.

Total revenues in 2013 will reach $26 billion, up from $18 billion in 2012. Free apps will account for 91 per cent of total downloads this year, it said.

Gartner said that in-app purchases (IAPs) will account for 48 per cent of app store revenue by 2017, up from 11 per cent in 2012.

"We expect strong growth in downloads through 2014, but growth is forecast to slow down a bit in later years," said Sandy Shen, research director.

"The average downloads per device should be high in early years as users get new devices and discover the apps they like. Over time they accumulate a portfolio of apps they like and stick to, so there will be moderate numbers of downloads in the later years," said Shen.

"Free apps currently account for about 60 per cent and 80 per cent of the total available apps in Apple's App Store and Google Play, respectively," said Brian Blau, research director.

"iOS and Android app stores combined are forecast to account for 90 per cent of global downloads in 2017. These app stores are still increasingly active due to richer ecosystems and large and very active developer communities,” said Blau.

“However, we expect average monthly downloads per iOS device to decline from 4.9 in 2013 to 3.9 in 2017, while average monthly downloads per Android device will decline from 6.2 in 2013 to 5.8 in 2017. This relates back to the overall trend of users using the same apps more often rather than downloading new ones," he added.

IAP purchases will drive 17 per cent of the store revenue in 2013 and increase to 48 per cent in 2017.

Research showed that IAP contributes to a significant amount of Apple's App Store revenue from iPhones worldwide. Other platforms have not reached such high levels as the iPhone, but analysts expect they will also see IAP contributions increase in the future. - TradeArabia News Service