UK smartphone users pay for just one in ten apps

Premium downloads? Ain't nobody got time for that.
With freemium apps – free to download, featuring in-app purchases and/or ads – becoming the norm, price comparison service uSwitch finds that British smartphone users will only pay for one in ten app downloads.
Brits have around 29 apps on their device, and the low paid-for adoption rate shows the competition is fierce, with users easily able to opt for rival services that don't cost them anything. The data says the average smartphone user spends just £8.94 on apps, while just 14 per cent have spent more than £20.
Seemingly users would end up out of pocket if they did pay for apps, as just 41 per cent use their collection regularly, with 61 per cent using less than half of the apps they download.
Londoners spend the most on apps and download more than anywhere else in the UK, while those in the South West spend the least.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, says: "Our smartphones are fast becoming app graveyards, littered with unused downloads. While some are downloaded out of curiosity, people often get ‘free’ apps only to find they are riddled with pop-up ads or that they must then pay to unlock more than the basic functions.
"While many apps cost less than £1 to download, these purchases can really mount up so be careful about what you buy. Apple is currently offering compensation to US parents whose kids have made such purchases without their permission, some racking up mammoth bills. It’s easily done and something I would urge British parents to avoid as it can be a costly lesson to learn."
Speaking of unauthorised purchases, Windows Phone finds that children have added an extra £30 million to parents' smartphone and tablet bills without permission.

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