WHILE THE MAJORITY OF MOBILE DEVICES USED BY PARENTS AND KIDS HAVE FEWER THAN 20 APPS FOR CHILDREN, CLOSE TO 10 PERCENT HAVE MORE THAN 60

For Kids, Gaming Apps Dominate, Followed by Music.

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK - According to Kids' Mobile Entertainment & Apps, the latest report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, the majority of mobile entertainment devices used by parents and kids have fewer than 20 apps that have been downloaded specifically for a child, with seven percent having more than 60 apps for a child.

While these devices have many features that appeal to consumers of all ages, for kids, games apps dominates usage, followed by music. Gaming is the most popular type of app downloaded, with the average device used by a child containing approximately 10 gaming-related apps.

Despite the popularity of games apps, music dominates when it comes to overall downloading, with games coming in at a distant second place, and video falling in third place. More than half of all downloads are music related, commanding 61 percent of all child-related downloads to a mobile entertainment device. The remaining types of downloads, which include ringtones, TV shows and movies, make up less than 10 percent of all downloading activity.

Paid vs. Free

According to the report, 82 percent of all apps downloaded for children were free. However, those who have purchased an app for their child are willing to spend almost twice as much as they are currently spending, with the willingness to pay for an app among device users increasing with the age of the child.

Free and inexpensive apps are big motivators for downloads, with 75 percent of respondents saying the free nature of many apps is the single highest motivating factor driving app acquisition. Other motivators include recommendations by family and friends, the childs' request/desire for the app, and the apps' affiliation with a character or personality.

"Free is key," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "The most common place for kids to use these devices is in their own home and I do believe free content is cannibalizing sales in many entertainment related industries. While these type of gaming experiences aren't as immersive as those available for console or portable systems, they are competing for time and dollars spent among the much broader casual gaming audience, and for time spent involved in other categories of entertainment."

Despite some prevailing notions that many apps are used once and then deleted or forgotten, most kids will reuse the same app many times. Only about 1 percent reported abandoning apps after 1 use.

Methodology

An online survey was fielded to members of NPD's Online panel. The survey was sent to a pre-identified sample of parents who own the measured devices (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BlackBerry, other Smartphone), as well as a pre-identified sample of households with kids who use one of the measured devices. Respondents were qualified for device ownership and for having a child age 0 to 14 who uses one of these devices. All surveys were conducted from June 18 through July 28, 2010. Final data includes 1043 completed surveys from kids that use one of the measured devices.