A quick review of the top five most downloaded Apple iOS apps for the iPhone in the English-speaking Caribbean, as of 13 February 2014.
With the proliferation of smartphones across the Caribbean, users are becoming increasingly savvy about the wealth of mobile applications (apps) available. Here, we highlight five of the most downloaded iOS apps from in the Caribbean, as of yesterday, 13 February 2014.
These apps would have been downloaded from the Apple Store, and the data collected was drawn from a number of sources, such as iOSappstats and App Annie. Interestingly, although app rankings across the sources accessed are updated daily, the order of the apps varied, which might be attributed to, in part, to differing time of day, or frequency within a day, that rankings are updated. Hence we are focussing on the most frequently downloaded apps, rather than their order on the chart.
It should be noted that while Android based handsets might be more plentiful than Apple iPhones in the Caribbean, the data generated on Android app downloads is not as granular as those from Apple. No data is available from Google Play (the largest and most popular Android app store) on an individual Caribbean country or on the region as a whole.
Fly Birdie – Flappy Bird Flyer
One of the most popular free games being downloaded from Apple’s Apps Store by Caribbean residents. Similar to Flappy Bird, which was pulled from the Apps Store earlier this week by its creator, the objective of Fly Birdie is to avoid obstacles. The publisher, TapTomic, claims that the game is addictive! With respect to the iOS platform, the app has been designed for both the iPhone and iPad.
WhatsApp Messenger
Although WhatsApp Messenger has been around for about four years, its popularity began to surge in the Caribbean when Blackberry devices started to decline and a suitable alternative to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was needed. The app has been designed primarily for smartphones, and uses Wi-Fi or mobile broadband to send and receive messages, audio and video notes, and pictures. Note that the app is free for the first year. Thereafter, the price is USD 0.99.
Splashy Fish
Appearing in the top five rankings for many Caribbean countries, Splashy Fish is a popular game in the region. Again similar to Flappy Bird, to play the game, users tap the touch screen of their devices to make the fish swim and change its altitude. The objective: avoid obstacles to increase level of difficulty and find hidden treasures. With respect to the iOS platform, the app has been designed for both the iPhone and iPad.
Skype
Overshadowing Windows Messenger, Skype has been a staple on PCs for a number of years. The app, which is available for a number of platforms and devices, includes much of the functionality of the PC programme, such as instant messaging, video messaging, photo sharing, calls to mobiles and landlines, all of which can be done via either Wi-Fi or mobile broadband. However, one of the best features of Skype is the fact that one account can be used across all of your devices, making it easer to manage and track your conversations.
BBM
A much-loved feature by BlackBerry users for a number of years, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) was released as a standalone app for the iOS and Android platforms in September 2013. Similar to most messaging services, BBM users can chat, send photos, files, documents, voice notes, etc. However, one of the most unique features of BBM is its privacy controls. It uses PINs instead of phone numbers or email addresses, so users cannot readily be ‘found”. As a result, they have greater control over who contacts them, and thus, better privacy.
Image credits: KROMKRATHOG (FreeDigitalPhotos.net); all app icons (Apple iTunes)
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