Apple

App Tracking Transparency Opt-In Rate - Monthly Updates

nik — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 08:54:58 +0000

App Tracking Transparency Opt-In Rate - Monthly Updates

By Manoj Balasubramanian, Marketing Analytics at Flurry

nik Thu, 12/16/2021 - 00:54

2022-05-02

Tags

Apple

ios 14

Last Updated May 2, 2022 Updated Monthly

For the past decade, mobile apps have been able to rely on Apple’s Identifier for Advertiser (IDFA) to track users across other companies' apps and websites for targeting and advertising purposes. With Apple's release of iOS 14.5 at the end of April, iOS app developers are now required to request permission to track their users beyond the app in use. With opt-in rates expected to be low, this change is anticipated to impact the entire mobile ecosystem and create challenges for personalized advertising and attribution, impacting the $189 billion mobile advertising industry worldwide.

Flurry Analytics is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. In the below report, we share the monthly opt-in rate as well as the percentage of users with ‘restricted’ app tracking, both in the U.S. and worldwide, following the launch of iOS 14.5.

Our Methodology

Flurry determines opt-in rate as ‘Authorized' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied'). Restricted app tracking rate is calculated as 'Restricted' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied' + 'Restricted '+ ‘Not Determined’).

These app tracking statuses are defined by Apple, and may be summarized as follows:

‘Authorized’ represents app users who tapped 'Allow Tracking' via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) prompt.
‘Denied’ represents two groups of app users, which Apple does not separate:
1. Users who saw the prompt and tapped 'Ask App Not to Track’. These users denied tracking for an app via the ATT prompt.
2. Users who went to iOS Privacy Settings and toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF. These users denied tracking for all apps at once, preventing apps from presenting the prompt.
‘Restricted’ represents app users with 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting OFF and DISABLED. Apple disables this setting for devices with Apple IDs associated with minors, for example. These users never have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.
‘Not Determined’ represents app users who have not seen the prompt and who have toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting ON. These users have not been asked yet to select a tracking option and are by default not being tracked.

We calculate the opt-in rate both overall and across apps that have displayed the ATT prompt. We estimate the set of apps that have displayed the ATT prompt by including only apps with more than 1% of active users using iOS 14 versions and above who have authorized tracking. We determine the percentage of users who have authorized tracking as 'Authorized' divided by ('Authorized' + 'Denied' + 'Restricted' + 'Not Determined'). We set a threshold of 1% for the proportion of users who have authorized tracking to exclude internal tests or very limited end-user ATT prompt rollouts.

How do we count app users?

We count the number of Flurry IDs based on the IDFV that are using iOS versions in which the ATT framework is available (iOS 14.0 and above). If a user opts in ('Authorized' tracking) for one app, and opts out ('Denied' tracking) for another app, we consider it as one app user who opts in, and another app user who opts out. In other words, we count app users, not individual users, which means that a single user who selects a tracking option across 2 apps will be counted 2 times.

What do these metrics mean?

Opt-in rate across all apps: Percentage of app users who allow app tracking among app users using iOS 14 versions and above who have chosen to either allow or deny app tracking. Note that denying tracking can be done for a given app via the prompt or for all apps by toggling 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF in the iOS Privacy Settings. This metric provides an industry-level view into the proportion of app users who have chosen to authorize vs. deny app tracking among all app users who have already selected a tracking option.

Opt-in rate across apps that have displayed the prompt: Percentage of app users who allow app tracking among app users using iOS 14 versions and above who have chosen to either allow or deny app tracking, either directly by going into the iOS Privacy Settings, or when prompted by an app, across apps that have displayed the ATT prompt. This metric is useful for app developers looking to benchmark the opt-in rate of their app as it is calculated specifically across apps that have displayed the prompt.

Restricted app tracking rate: Percentage of app users using iOS 14 versions and above who do not have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile industry trends.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate - Weekly Updates Since Launch

edanilo — Mon, 24 May 2021 20:42:15 +0000

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate - Weekly Updates Since Launch

By Estelle Laziuk, Flurry Analyst

edanilo Mon, 05/24/2021 - 13:42

2021-05-25

Tags

Mobile Insights

Apple

Last Updated Sept 6, 2021 Updated Weekly

Flurry Analytics, from Verizon Media, is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. In the below report, we share the weekly opt-in rate as well as the percentage of users with ‘restricted’ app tracking, both in the U.S. and worldwide, following the launch of iOS 14.5.

Our Methodology

These app tracking statuses are defined by Apple, and may be summarized as follows:

‘Authorized’ represents app users who tapped 'Allow Tracking' via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) prompt.
‘Denied’ represents two groups of app users, which Apple does not separate:
1. Users who saw the prompt and tapped 'Ask App Not to Track’. These users denied tracking for an app via the ATT prompt.
2. Users who went to iOS Privacy Settings and toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF. These users denied tracking for all apps at once, preventing apps from presenting the prompt.
‘Restricted’ represents app users with 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting OFF and DISABLED. Apple disables this setting for devices with Apple IDs associated with minors, for example. These users never have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.
‘Not Determined’ represents app users who have not seen the prompt and who have toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting ON. These users have not been asked yet to select a tracking option and are by default not being tracked.

How do we count app users?

What do these metrics mean?

Restricted app tracking rate: Percentage of app users using iOS 14 versions and above who do not have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.

Data

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile industry trends.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate: Behind the Numbers

LisaMoshfegh — Thu, 20 May 2021 22:01:58 +0000

iOS 14 Opt-in Rate: Behind the Numbers

By David Lundell, Head of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

LisaMoshfegh Thu, 05/20/2021 - 15:01

2021-05-20

Tags

ios 14

Apple

Apple launched one of the most significant privacy policies in the mobile app economy with the release of iOS 14. iOS users are now directly in control over whether or not their behavior can be shared with other apps and third parties. iOS app developers are now required to request permission to track their users beyond the app in use. This change will impact the entire mobile ecosystem and create challenges for personalized advertising and attribution.

With the rollout of iOS 14.5, app developers face a choice: display the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt or don’t track users at all. At Flurry we are tracking the opt-in rate: both overall and across only apps that have displayed the prompt. The high level findings:

The Opt-In rate across all apps has risen from 11% to 15% since the rollout of iOS 14.5.
The Opt-In rate across apps that have displayed the prompt has hovered around one-quarter of users.

Here are some insights that may not be obvious by looking at Opt-In Rate alone:

Opt-In Rate is only a slice of the picture

Apps in some categories have reported success requesting opt-in via the ATT prompt in bucket testing. But this misses the larger picture: with Apple restricting some devices from choice, and other users actively opting out in device settings, apps won’t even have the chance to prompt many users. We estimate that only 73% of users will be addressable by the prompt either because they have turned off the setting “Allow Apps to Request to Track” or because Apple has turned it off for them and disabled it. We derive this number by looking at apps that haven’t shown the prompt and finding 27% with Denied or Restricted status among active iOS 14+ users.

Most apps aren’t displaying the prompt

Over half (57%) of all app users on iOS 14+ still are in the Not Determined state. That means they haven’t yet been given the option by the app developer to opt in or opt out. More importantly, as of iOS 14.5, that means these users don’t have an IDFA and cannot be tracked according to Apple’s policy. These users are not reflected in the Flurry opt-in rate and many other publicly released opt-in rates.

iOS 14.5 has barely rolled out

Prior to the release of 14.5, we demonstrated how iOS version rollouts vary over time. We predicted that Apple would slow roll iOS 14.5 and that’s exactly what they’ve done. iOS 14.5 and 14.5.1 are only on about 16% of iOS devices worldwide as of May 20, which likely correlates to more tech-savvy users who explicitly sought out the upgrade rather than wait for Apple to push it. That means the industry hasn’t yet been impacted by the major change in iOS 14.5: users who haven’t explicitly granted permission to be tracked don’t have an IDFA and can’t be tracked.

With these insights in mind, here are some things to watch for in the weeks to come:

As the iOS 14.5 roll out accelerates, will apps displaying the prompt pick up?

Apps aren’t prompting in part because they don’t see an incentive. With the slow roll out of iOS 14.5, apps can still use the IDFA for unprompted users. As iOS 14.5 rolls out more widely—and Apple encourages further prompt rollouts in app store reviews—we expect to see the prompt displayed to more users in more apps.

When more apps start displaying the prompt, will users go to Settings and turn off prompting for all apps?

Most users in most apps haven’t yet been prompted. When that changes, annoyed users could go to Settings en masse and disallow “Request to Track” across all of their apps. This could drive the addressable prompt audience down from an already low 73% of users.

For attribution, how much will it matter?

Running campaigns with device-level attribution requires apps on both sides - publishers and advertisers - to get opt in. As Eric Seufert has pointed out, without critical mass on the publisher side, advertisers won’t be able to do granular attribution. While some advertisers have achieved decent opt-in rates on the prompt, opt in overall has been extremely low. If these trends hold, advertiser iOS attribution strategies must adjust.

As Apple continues the release of iOS 14.5 and developers are forced to finally present the prompt, we’ll continue to report on opt-in rates on our original blog post. Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog and on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile insights.

iOS 14.5 Opt-in Rate - Daily Updates Since Launch

edanilo — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:35:35 +0000

iOS 14.5 Opt-in Rate - Daily Updates Since Launch

By Estelle Laziuk, Flurry Analyst

edanilo Thu, 04/29/2021 - 10:35

2021-04-29

Tags

Mobile Insights

Apple

Last Updated May 25, 2021 (Weekly Updates Here)

Flurry Analytics, from Verizon Media, is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. In the below report, we've shared the daily opt-in rate as well as the percentage of users with ‘restricted’ app tracking, both in the U.S. and worldwide, for the first three weeks following the launch of iOS 14.5.

Our Methodology

These app tracking statuses are defined by Apple, and may be summarized as follows:

‘Authorized’ represents app users who tapped 'Allow Tracking' via the AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) prompt.
‘Denied’ represents two groups of app users, which Apple does not separate:
1. Users who saw the prompt and tapped 'Ask App Not to Track’. These users denied tracking for an app via the ATT prompt.
2. Users who went to iOS Privacy Settings and toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track’ OFF. These users denied tracking for all apps at once, preventing apps from presenting the prompt.
‘Restricted’ represents app users with 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting OFF and DISABLED. Apple disables this setting for devices with Apple IDs associated with minors, for example. These users never have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.
‘Not Determined’ represents app users who have not seen the prompt and who have toggled 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' setting ON. These users have not been asked yet to select a tracking option and are by default not being tracked.

How do we count app users?

What do these metrics mean?

Restricted app tracking rate: Percentage of app users using iOS 14 versions and above who do not have a choice to select a tracking option and cannot be tracked by default.

Data

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest mobile industry trends.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

How Quickly Will Users Upgrade to iOS 14.5 with IDFA-limiting App Tracking Transparency?

edanilo — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 23:26:34 +0000

How Quickly Will Users Upgrade to iOS 14.5 with IDFA-limiting App Tracking Transparency?

By Estelle Laziuk, Flurry Analyst

edanilo Mon, 04/19/2021 - 16:26

2021-04-20

Tags

Mobile Insights

Apple

iOS 14.5 is expected to impact the entire mobile app industry, from developers to advertisers. As we await Apple’s final launch date, we uncover how quickly you should expect users to upgrade to iOS 14.5 by reviewing the adoption curve of past iOS releases.

Flurry Analytics, owned by Verizon Media, is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. For this analysis, Flurry analyzed the adoption rates of the past four iOS versions after they launched. Let’s start by reviewing the worldwide adoption rate of the latest operating system version currently in production, iOS 14.4.2.

In the chart above, we show the percentage of active iPhones using iOS 14.4.2. With this version fixing a vulnerability that permits malicious web content to perform universal cross-site scripting, iOS 14.4.2 was rapidly adopted, reaching 35% of iPhones within the first week of launch, and 58% in the following week. In the third week of launch, the adoption rate slowed down, increasing by only 6 percentage points versus 18 points the week before.

Let’s next review the worldwide adoption of the earlier version iOS 14.4.1, which also fixes a critical vulnerability, allowing a malicious web page to perform remote code execution in WebKit.

In the chart above, we show the adoption rate from launch day until the launch of the next iOS version. Adoption of iOS 14.4.1 started spiking in its second week of launch, reaching 35% of iPhone devices. In the third week, adoption continued to climb and quickly reached 55% of iPhones worldwide.

Based on the two iOS versions reviewed so far, when Apple releases new security fixes, Apple users adopt them rapidly.

Let’s next review the adoption of the earlier iOS 14.4 version. This release brings more changes than the two versions reviewed so far. It adds 3 new features and 6 bug fixes.

The adoption of iOS 14.4 resembles that of its prior version, with a steep spike in the second week of launch, reaching 39% of iPhones worldwide. Adoption continued to climb in the third week and then slowed down in the following weeks, hovering around 70%.

Let’s finally review the adoption of the earlier iOS 14.3 version, which brings even more changes: 19 new features and 11 bug fixes. With that many updates, we think this version has the most similar properties to iOS 14.5.

Compared to prior versions reviewed so far, mass adoption of iOS 14.3 seems to have been delayed, spiking to 57% adoption in the fifth week since launch. We think depending on the type of release, especially the number of new features a version brings, Apple could be throttling the number of users who get prompted to upgrade, delaying the spike in mass adoption.

Summary

When Apple releases a new iOS version, there isn’t a consistent pattern in the rate of adoption. Our data shows that the adoption curve looks different across the past four iOS releases, with mass adoption picking up from one to five weeks after launch day.
Depending on the type of release, we think Apple could be throttling the number of users who get prompted to upgrade, impacting adoption rates. This means that adoption uptake could be affected by Apple bucket-testing its release. If this is the case, once the release is made Generally Available (GA), there is consistently a steep spike in adoption, which indicates that Apple users consistently upgrade quickly once they GA a version.
We anticipate iOS 14.5 adoption to most resemble that of iOS 14.3, which brought the largest number of new features of the past four versions. We also think that the industry-impacting changes brought about by iOS 14.5 will prompt Apple to bucket-test, resulting in an initially slow adoption, followed by a rapid mass adoption once they GA.

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest reports on the mobile industry.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

iPhone 12 Pro Appeals to Photography Enthusiasts

edanilo — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:40:46 +0000

iPhone 12 Pro Appeals to Photography Enthusiasts

By Estelle Laziuk, Flurry Analyst

edanilo Wed, 03/31/2021 - 08:40

2021-03-31

Tags

Apple

Samsung

Mobile Insights

In the past year, there's been an influx of mobile devices that tout various advances in camera technology. To help you identify which new devices are uniquely suited for photography, we reveal the smartphone model that photography enthusiasts are adopting most.

Flurry Analytics, owned by Verizon Media, is used in over 1 million mobile applications, providing aggregated insights across 2 billion mobile devices per month. For this analysis, we focus on Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices that launched during 2020. Note that we don’t review the latest Galaxy S21 line, as its 2021 launch two months ago is too recent for us to assess lasting consumer preferences. First, Flurry looked at U.S. mobile app users active in the past 3 months, which we refer to as the “general population.” We then defined photography enthusiasts as the subset of mobile users active on professional photo editing apps. Let’s start by reviewing the install base of the iPhone 12 series among photography enthusiasts compared to the general population.

In the chart above, we show smartphone preferences across the iPhone 12 line among the general population in the top row compared to photography enthusiasts in the bottom row. We show the share captured by device, and color code each segment by device price point. For example, the iPhone 12 Pro is a device that captures the greatest share difference among photo enthusiasts (33%) compared to the general population (23%), and it’s color coded a medium blue denoting a midrange price of around $1,000. With a more advanced camera for just $200 more than the base iPhone 12 model, the iPhone 12 Pro camera features appear to resonate among photo enthusiasts. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is also the most popular iPhone 12 device, appeals slightly more to photo enthusiasts (44%) than to the general population (41%).

Let’s next review the install base of the Galaxy S20 series among photography enthusiasts versus the general population.

The chart above shows that photography enthusiasts and the general population share the same order of smartphone preferences in the Galaxy S20 line, albeit in different percentages. Their first choice is the lower-priced Galaxy S20, followed by the midrange priced Galaxy S20+. The least adopted model is the premium Galaxy S20 Ultra. Despite having more advanced front- and rear-facing cameras, the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s premium price tag seems to deter both the general population and photography enthusiasts from electing it as their first choice.

While both photography enthusiasts and the general population’s preferred model is the lower-priced Galaxy S20, we observe the opposite trend in the iPhone 12 line. The most premium model, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is the most popular phone among both photography enthusiasts and the general population. We think this difference could be due to the Galaxy S20 line being more expensive than the iPhone 12 series, with the lower-priced Galaxy S20 model being as expensive as the midrange iPhone 12 Pro model. This difference could also result from Apple and Samsung having different customer profiles.

Note that for both the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 series, photography enthusiasts tend to adopt more premium-priced phones with higher-end cameras than the general population. As a result, photography enthusiasts seem to be less price-sensitive than the rest of the population, or the extent to which they value the high-end camera supersedes their sensitivity to price.

Summary

In the iPhone 12 line, the premium-priced iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most adopted smartphone by the general U.S. population and photography enthusiasts alike. By contrast, the lowest-priced base Galaxy S20 model is the most preferred phone in the Galaxy S20 series.
Among smartphones in the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S20 series, the iPhone 12 Pro is the only model that photography enthusiasts rank higher than the general population. It is the second most adopted model in the iPhone 12 line among photography enthusiasts, while it ranks as the third most adopted phone in the general population. The iPhone 12 Pro model therefore uniquely appeals to photography enthusiasts and appears to be particularly well suited for photography.

Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest reports on smartphone industry trends.

Samsung and Samsung Galaxy are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in the United States or other countries.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. or Samsung

iPhone 12 Outperforms iPhone 12 Pro Max in China

LisaMoshfegh — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 18:51:17 +0000

iPhone 12 Outperforms iPhone 12 Pro Max in China

By Aman Bansal, Flurry Analyst

LisaMoshfegh Mon, 03/22/2021 - 11:51

2021-03-22

Tags

Apple

Mobile Insights

In Apple’s most recent earnings call, they reported 64% of their record-breaking 111.4 billion in revenue came from international markets. After the United States, China is Apple’s second largest smartphone market, which should come as no surprise considering the world’s most populated country is also the world’s largest smartphone market. For this report, we’ll analyze iPhone adoption trends in China over the past several years with an emphasis on 2020’s iPhone 12 series.

Flurry Analytics is used in over 1 million mobile applications worldwide, providing insights from 2 billion devices per month. Let’s begin by reviewing the current share of Apple’s iPhone install base in China as of February 2021.

In the chart above, we list the top 15 iPhone devices in the Chinese market as of February 2021, by share of install base. The iPhone 11, the base model released in 2019, is the most popular iPhone in China with 13.4% of the total iPhone install base, followed by 2017’s iPhone X with 10.5%. Older iPhone models such as iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus also make the top 5, with their smaller counterparts iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 ranking at the 8th and 12th place respectively. Amongst the newer iPhone 12 lineup, the base iPhone 12 has captured the most share at 5.9%, followed by iPhone 12 Pro Max (4.2%) and iPhone 12 Pro (2.4%). The iPhone 12 mini failed to make the list of top 15 iPhone models as it only captured 0.5% of the total iPhone market in China.

Let’s next look at the share of iPhone models by device age, and how it has changed over the last year.

In the side-by-side pie charts above, we present the age of iPhone devices held by Chinese consumers in February 2021 on the left, and February of 2020 on the right. The share of people holding phones for longer than 4 years has increased from 23% to 31% in the past year. People might be able to use their old iPhone devices longer due to better battery management offered by Apple through their Battery Health tool which supports iPhone 6 and later. Also, Apple substantially increased prices of new iPhone models since the launch of iPhone X in 2017, which might be leading people to wait longer for their next smartphone upgrade. Of course, COVID-19 impacted the economy and forced Apple to close retail stores for several months, which also could have delayed or prevented people from upgrading.

On the other hand, the share of people with iPhone devices less than one year old increased 3 percentage points to 14% in February 2021. This indicates that more people upgraded to the iPhone 12 lineup this cycle compared to the iPhone 11 series last year.

Next, let’s look at the share of new device activations by iPhone series over the last four years.

In the chart above, we see how the share of new device activations has changed since 2017, by iPhone series. The share of the iPhone 6S series and older, represented in light blue, has decreased dramatically since 2017, while the share of iPhone 7 series (light green) and iPhone 8 series (orange) has not changed significantly. Even in 2021, they are still capturing 14% and 12% of all new iPhone activations, respectively. Since the iPhone 8 series launched, Apple has made substantial changes to their devices, including larger screen sizes, removal of the home button, and higher prices, which may deter some people from upgrading their phones to the newest models.

As of February 2021, the iPhone 12 series accounts for 25% of new iPhone device activations in China. But what’s interesting is that the iPhone X series is the second most popular lineup, capturing 19% of new activations in China and outperforming the newer iPhone 11 series by 2 percentage points.

Lastly, let’s review how the iPhone 12 series has performed in China.

In the chart above, we illustrate the share of each device in the iPhone 12 series from October 2020 through February 2021. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were launched in October 2020 followed by iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini in November 2020. Since launch, the iPhone 12, in green, has consistently been the most popular device in the iPhone 12 lineup, followed by iPhone 12 Pro Max, in purple. This is a reversal of the trend seen in the United States, where iPhone 12 Pro Max outshined the iPhone 12. Additionally, since coming down from the initial spike at launch, the iPhone 12 is consistently gaining share in China, whereas the other three devices in the lineup are flat or declining. In 2021 alone, the iPhone 12 has gained 4 percentage points, almost entirely at the expense of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The other trends in the iPhone 12 lineup are more similar to those seen in the United States market. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has outsold its smaller counterpart, the iPhone 12 Pro, in both China and the United States, and iPhone 12 mini has failed to pick up much market share in either country. As per a recent report from Nikkei Asia, Apple will halt production of the iPhone 12 mini sometime in 2021 by 70% or more, further indicating that people may not be willing to pay top dollar for smartphones with a smaller screen.

Based on Apple’s record-breaking fourth quarter and the increasing revenue coming from international markets, China will continue to be essential to Apple’s future growth opportunities. For more mobile industry insights, make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog and on Twitter and LinkedIn.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

Smartphone Growth Surges in Middle East by 23%

LisaMoshfegh — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 06:23:22 +0000

Smartphone Growth Surges in Middle East by 23%

By Aman Bansal, Flurry Analyst

LisaMoshfegh Tue, 03/09/2021 - 22:23

2021-03-10

Tags

Mobile Insights

Samsung

Apple

The Middle East is an ethnically and culturally diverse trans-continental region which includes countries in Western Asia, as well as Egypt and Turkey. The most populous countries in the Middle East are Egypt, Iran and Turkey, while Saudi Arabia has the largest area. In this report, we review the smartphone market in the Middle East in order to better understand growth opportunities and consumer preferences in the region.

Flurry Analytics is used in over 1 million mobile applications worldwide, providing insights from 2 billion devices per month. Let’s begin by reviewing the distribution of mobile devices across the Middle East by country.

In the chart above, we list each country in the Middle East by its percentage of active smartphone users as of January 2021. Unfortunately, due to political constraints, we are unable to report on app usage from Iran and Syria. Iran is one of the larger countries in the region and its population makes up 21% of the total population in the Middle East. According to a recent report from Statista, Iran has the largest number of smartphone users in the region, which means that, if included, Iran would likely top this list.

Turkey is the top country on our list in terms of the smartphone users in the Middle East region. Turkey accounts for 28% of smartphone users and 26% of the region's population, followed by Egypt (23% of smartphone users, 29% of population) and Saudi Arabia (14% of smartphone users, 10% of population).

Next, let’s review the countries experiencing the largest smartphone growth year-over-year.

As seen in the chart above, the Middle East region saw a strong increase in device activations, growing on average 23% year-over-year. This growth was primarily driven by the larger markets such as Iraq and Egypt that continued to grow despite their huge existing user base. Among the reasons growth is so high across these countries is low existing smartphone penetration, which stands at 20%, and 28% for Iraq and Egypt respectively. Their relative market sizes and growth rates provide lucrative opportunities for app developers to monetize and grow their own user bases. Declines seen for UAE and Qatar in mobile device activations are likely due to their very high smartphone penetration rates of 81% and 75% respectively, meaning a limited scope for growth.

Next, let’s review the platform preference in the Middle East.

In the chart above, we list each country by its share of Android devices in blue compared to iOS devices in gray. While the average Android share in the Middle East is 78%, it varies considerably amongst different countries. The countries with the highest GDP per capita, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE, have the lowest percentage of Android penetration, ranging from 57% to 66%, and therefore a high share of iOS users. Yemen with the highest share of Android devices (98%) also happens to have the lowest GDP per capita in the region and very low share of iOS users. This wide variation speaks to the diversity within the Middle East which app developers should keep in mind as they vie for success in these markets.

Next, let’s take a look at market share by smartphone manufacturers in the Middle East.

In the chart above, we list the top 5 smartphone manufacturers in the Middle East as of January 2021. We then combine the remaining manufacturers into “Others,” represented by the gray slice of the pie. Samsung is the clear leader controlling 39% of all smartphones in the Middle Eastern market, followed by Huawei at 18%, Apple at 18%, Xiaomi at 6%, and OPPO at 4%. From 2020 to 2021, Samsung lost 2 percentage points, Apple lost 4 percentage points, whereas Huawei remained flat and Xiaomi and OPPO gained 3 percentage points and 1 percentage points respectively. In the ever-evolving smartphone market, Chinese manufacturers are gaining popularity in the Middle East at the expense of global behemoths, Samsung and Apple.

Finally, let’s review the most popular device models in the Middle East.

In the chart above, we list the 10 most popular smartphone devices in the Middle East as of January 2021 by the number of active devices in the market. We list Samsung models in green, Apple models in orange, and Huawei models in purple. Huawei’s Y9 Prime takes the top spot with 1.9% of market share, followed by Samsung’s Galaxy On Nxt and Apple’s iPhone 11. Apple smartphones feature 5 of the top 10 spots, followed by Samsung and Huawei taking the remaining 3 and 2 spots respectively. Combined, these top 10 devices account for only 15% of the region’s total market share, further demonstrating the fragmented smartphone market in the region.

With a 23% average growth rate of new smartphone activations, the Middle East is one of the world’s fastest growing regions in terms of smartphone growth. Considering low smartphone penetration rates in several of the region’s countries, we expect growth to continue and we imagine app developers will follow. Make sure you follow us on the Flurry Blog and on Twitter and LinkedIn for more mobile industry insights.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Samsung and Samsung Galaxy are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in the United States or other countries.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. or Samsung.

What App Developers Need to Know about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

LisaMoshfegh — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 18:38:23 +0000

What App Developers Need to Know about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

By David Lundell, Head of Product Management, Flurry Analytics

LisaMoshfegh Fri, 02/26/2021 - 10:38

2021-02-26

Tags

Product Insights

ios 14

Apple

Q: What is App Tracking Transparency?

Apple will soon implement new privacy protocols that require app developers to obtain authorization to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies. If your app collects data about end users and shares that data with other companies, you must present a tracking authorization prompt.

Q. Can I still use Flurry Analytics once Apple launches App Tracking Transparency?

Yes! Apple has indicated that first party analytics providers are not subject to required tracking opt-in. Flurry does not rely on the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), fingerprinting or other device IDs which would require end-user opt-in. Flurry leverages the Identifier for Vendors (IDFV) for first-party analytics, an Apple approved use.

Q: Do I need to present a tracking prompt to my users because my app includes the Flurry SDK?

No. Invoking the opt-in prompt in iOS 14 is completely up to you. You decide when to prompt for authorization - or even whether to invoke the prompt at all. Your analytics from Flurry won’t be impacted by whether you display the prompt for opt-in authorization.

Q. Will Flurry only provide analytics for users that opt in?

No. Flurry provides analytics reporting on all of your users regardless of opt-in state.

Q: When will Apple launch App Tracking Transparency?

Starting with the beta versions of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, developers will be required to ask users for their permission to track them. We are still waiting for Apple to announce when these will be widely released, but industry insiders predict sometime in March.

Q: What do I need to do on my app’s product page in the App Store?

Developers that work with Flurry need to acknowledge and detail the Data Use around each type of data Flurry collects. As a Flurry Analytics customer, you MUST select the following Data Types as they are collected by Flurry Analytics: Device ID, Product Interaction, Other Usage Data. Optionally, if you use Flurry Crash Analytics, you must select the following Data Types: Crash Data, Performance Data. If you use Flurry Revenue Analytics, you must select the following: Purchases.

Please see this blog post for detailed steps to update your app’s data collection practices as they relate to Flurry Analytics. The information we are providing is only relevant to your use of Flurry Analytics. Based on your own app’s data collection practices or those of other third-parties you work with, you may need to select additional data types.

Q: Do I need to upgrade to Flurry’s latest SDK to be compliant with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency?

No. Flurry customers will continue to receive the same data and services from Flurry Analytics regardless of SDK version. We recommend minimum Android Flurry SDK v.12.0.0 and minimum iOS Flurry SDK v10.0.0.

To take advantage of Flurry’s Conversion Value analytics, upgrade to the latest version of the Flurry SDK. For more information on how to use Conversion Value to measure post-install campaign campaign effectiveness and LTV, please see this blog post.

Q: Does Flurry respect end user App Tracking Transparency authorization (i.e. user tracking opt-in)?

Flurry will respect Apple’s policy requirement to not combine data across apps and websites owned by other companies in cases where end users have not provided affirmative consent to tracking. In other words, Flurry doesn’t track unless the app obtains tracking consent.

Q: What does ATT mean for me as an app publisher who relies on advertising revenue?

Today, Ad Networks and Demand Side Platforms use the IDFA to reach target audiences. When the IDFA becomes largely unavailable, advertisers will have fewer tools for targeting and attribution. As a result, ad spending will likely drop, leading to lower CPMs and fill for application publishers. For more details on how ATT will likely impact app developers who rely on advertising revenue - and for how Flurry can help - please read our blog post.

Q: What does ATT mean for me as an app publisher who relies on advertising to drive user acquisition?

In the pre-iOS 14 world, Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) used IDFAs to provide app install campaign performance insights. With freely collected IDFAs, advertisers could learn which app showed an ad, the specific campaign and creative used to drive an install, and even actions taken by end users after downloading an advertised app. As we enter a new era in which the majority of IDFAs will no longer be available, this traditional mobile attribution model will be impacted. To address the gap it is creating for MMPs, Apple has improved its own SKAdnetwork framework. To learn more about how Flurry can help you leverage SKAdnetwork, please read our blog post here.

Q: What is SKAdnetwork?

SKAdnetwork is Apple’s solution to attribution challenges, including those introduced by the App Tracking Transparency framework. SKAdnetwork helps advertising apps and ad networks connect their campaigns to installs. For end users that have not opted into tracking, SKAdnetwork metadata is the only way for apps to measure campaign impact on installs.

Q: What is SKAdnetwork Conversion Value?

For end users that have not opted into tracking, Conversion Value is the only indicator beyond the install event to gauge the quality of the install. Conversion Value is a six bit value set by the app after users launch a new app for the first time. Apps can update the conversion value within 24 hours. Updating the value automatically resets a 24-hour timer, which postpones the SKAdnetwork postback to ad networks. With up to 64 different values and a limited time in which to set those values, apps will need to be smart about using Conversion Value to effectively describe and predict the user’s expected lifetime value. No matter how you choose to set your Conversion Value, Flurry can help you better understand lifetime value by automatically setting the Conversion Value as a Standard User Property. Please see this blog post for details.

Flurry is here to help navigate app developers through this disruption of traditional app business models. Please contact us at support@flurry.com if you have any questions.

Flurry 2021 State of Mobile

LisaMoshfegh — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:55:24 +0000

Flurry 2021 State of Mobile

By Lisa Moshfegh, Product Marketing | Estelle Laziuk, Flurry Analyst | Aman Bansal, Flurry Analyst

LisaMoshfegh Mon, 02/08/2021 - 12:55

2021-02-09

Tags

2020 was an unforgettable year. The global COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we live, learn and work. And as the world appeared to be in chaos, smartphones kept people connected, informed and entertained. For this year’s Flurry State of Mobile, we’ll review the most significant global trends related to smartphone adoption, mobile app category growth, and app usage behavior.

Flurry Analytics is used in over 1 million mobile applications, delivering insights from more than 1 billion smartphones worldwide. All data in this report represents global numbers, excluding China and Europe due to insufficient data. Let’s start with which countries are seeing the greatest growth in smartphone adoption.

In the chart above, we identified the countries with the largest year-over-year increases in new device activations. In other words, these are the countries driving the world’s smartphone growth. India, for example, experienced a 31% year-over-year increase. For a country of 1.3 billion people with smartphone penetration around 30%, this represents tens of millions of new smartphones flooding the market.

Globally, we’ve seen a 6% increase year-over-year in new smartphone activations. But as many countries in North and South America have experienced flat or even a slight decline year-over-year, the growth is clearly coming from countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Let’s next review year-over-year shifts in market share of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers and see which companies are benefiting from this smartphone growth.

In the bar chart above we list the global smartphone market share of the world’s largest smartphone OEMs. The gray bars represent 2019 market share, and the blue bars represent 2020 market share. Samsung has a 13 percentage point lead over Apple, the world’s second largest OEM. And while Apple has made significant gains in international markets with more recently released lower cost devices, they still have a long way to go close the gap on Samsung’s commanding lead.

Together, Samsung and Apple make up over half of all smartphones in use around the world, leaving a large part of the market fragmented. Best poised to shake-up the Samsung-Apple global duopoly is one of several Chinese manufacturers. According to analyst reports, Huawei makes up 43% of China’s smartphone market, which would put them much closer to Apple in terms of global market share than our data illustrates. However, as Huawei has to contend with U.S. sanctions, Xiaomi, OPPO, or vivo could see an opportunity to gain share.

Next, let’s take a closer look at the Samsung-Apple split at the country level.

In the chart above, we breakout new device activations by country and by OEM, ranked by the countries with the highest Samsung share. The blue lines represent Samsung, the green is Apple, and then we’ve combined all other OEMs together as Others in gray. Once again, this shows Samsung’s dominance at the country level, in addition to the global level we showed in the first chart. However, it also shows how fierce competition is among other Android manufacturers in several key markets including India and Indonesia.

Knowing that Apple controls 19% of the world’s smartphone market, we can deduce that Google’s Android operating system controls the remaining 81%. Next, let’s see how the operating system split looks at the country level.

In the chart above, we list the ten largest markets in terms of total new smartphone devices sorted by share of Android smartphones. As you can see, the Android operating system dominates in many of the world’s largest markets. Even in the United States, arguably Apple’s most important market, Android holds a small lead. And in countries such as India and Indonesia, with large populations and relatively low smartphone penetration, the numbers really tilt in Android’s favor.

Any plans Apple has for international expansion in some of these key markets could be hampered by the premium prices of iPhone devices. For years, Apple ratched up the price of its most premium devices, with the highest-end models nearing $1,500. More recently, however, Apple released lower cost devices like the iPhone XR and iPhone SE likely as a means to find new audiences both in the U.S. and abroad.

Next look at what groups are driving mobile device and app usage.

In the chart above, we present the percent change in sessions per user from 2019 to 2020 by generation. Generations Z and Y, which collectively represent those from high school age to around 40 years old, increased their app usage the most, by 11% and 34% respectively. We believe that these young adults and young working professionals gained the most additional free time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With school shifting to remote learning, work transitioning to the home, and heavily reduced social activities, these users increasingly turned to their smartphones to pass time. This aligns with an earlier report we published showing that Gen Z mobile gaming surged during the early months of the pandemic. Let’s now review which app categories saw the biggest increases year-over-year.

In this final chart, we show which app categories had the largest increase in sessions per user from 2019 to 2020. App categories that facilitate working and learning from home, such as Business and Productivity, saw the largest increases, up 85% and 29% respectively. Social apps allowed people to stay in touch when the pandemic prevented in-person gatherings, and of course, Food & Drink benefited from the unexpected interest in baking, as well as the surge in take-out orders. Even though the mobile gaming category only shows a 7% increase, a single digit percentage increase actually represents massive growth as gaming is already one of the most heavily used app categories in mobile.

On the other end of the spectrum, Travel and Shopping app categories suffered major declines year-over-year, likely due to the stay-at-home orders in place throughout much of the year due to COVID-19.

While 2020 was a year unlike any other, we don’t expect 2021 will bring much normalcy until the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to all. As the world begins to re-open, we believe smartphone and app usage will trail behind as people have become even more connected to their mobile devices than before. Please make sure to follow us on the Flurry blog, Twitter and LinkedIn where we regularly report on smartphone adoption trends and shifts in user behavior.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Samsung and Samsung Galaxy are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in the United States or other countries.

The Flurry blog (https://www.flurry.com/blog/) is an independent blog and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. or Samsung.