An update, the first for 2015, of the most downloaded free apps for the Apple iPhone in the Caribbean.
Last year, we reported on two separate occasions on the most downloaded free software applications (apps) for the Apple iPhone in the Caribbean. In this article, we update those findings.
Again, 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.
WhatsApp Messenger
WhatApp Messenger continues to be quite popular in the Caribbean, and as at 11 June, it was the most downloaded app in several countries. In addition to its instant messaging capability, which includes being able to send video, images, and voice notes over its network, WhatsApp recently introduced voice chat feature, which allows free calls between subscribers. This new feature has no doubt increased its appeal and its continued popularity in the region.
Instagram
Over the past nine months, since our last review, Instagram’s importance in the global social media landscape has increased considerably. Although, it has over 300 million monthly active users, which is considerably less than both Facebook and Twitter, in the world of selfies and images, Instagram shines especially among the 18—29 years age group (Source: Pew Research Institute). The key selling point of Instagram is its photo and video sharing features, which can be shared via a user’s photo stream, or directly sent in posts to those in his/her network, which can also be shared automatically on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, to name a few.
Facebook
Facebook is still a popular social network in the Caribbean, with over 1.44 billion monthly active users worldwide, as of March 2015 (Source: Facebook), its membership is still growing. Due to the sheer size of its network Facebook continues to be popular with advertisers and businesses; hence it is not only useful for engaging friends and family, but also to be learn about new development on topics that are of interest.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger continues to be a top app in the region following Facebook separating the instant chat feature from the original app. In addition to a person’s Facebook friends, the app allows users to message persons in their phone book or any dialled number. Calls can also be made from within the app, which are free for those between Messenger users.
YouTube
YouTube continues to be the world’s leading video-sharing social network, and the third most popular site globally, based on traffic (Source: Alexa, 11 June 2015)). In addition to being a major source of video content on a broad range of topics, YouTube is also an income generator for users who have developed channels on the platform, and has over 300 hours of new content being uploaded every minute (Source: DMR).
Notable mentions
These two apps below appear to be growing in popularity across the Caribbean.
Snapchat: A relatively new messaging app that allows users to take photos, record videos, add text and drawings (all called “Snaps”) and send them to a controlled list of recipients. The key selling point of this app is that users set a time limit for how long recipients can view their Snaps (up to 10 seconds) after which they can no longer be viewed and are deleted from Snapchat’s servers.
imo free video calls and chat: Imo is another messaging app, which is being marketed as a platform that allows users to send message and have video chats for free, no matter what device they are using. However, it requires an Internet connection, be it via Wi-Fi, or a mobile data plan.
Image credits: Stuart Miles (FreeDigitalPhotos.net); WhatsApp (iTunes); Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Snapchat, imo (Google Play)
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Notable also that 4 of the 5 are owned by Facebook.