In its sample, Flurry found that the most-frequently used applications over the longest period of time were news, reference, productivity and navigation apps. This makes sense, if you consider that accessing the news, looking up information and getting directions from a map are the types of activities that many people like to do while on-the-go. These applications are not only useful, but they can be ideal for the mobile platform.
On the opposite end of the spectrum (or graph, as it were), the applications that had the least usage over time were what Flurry calls "Entertainment" apps. "Entertainment" doesn't mean games, it means one-off, single-purpose novelty applications. Things like Fart applications or IQ tests or flashlights or other toys. As can be expected, these applications are often used just a few times and then abandoned.
Why Is Retention Data Important?
You might find app retention data interesting, but if you are a developer or an app producer, why is this information important? Because knowing usage patterns for an app can help determine pricing, the viability of add-ons, and in the future as app stores evolve, upgrades.
With the iPhone 3.0 SDK, Apple introduced the ability to do in-app purchases, so that developer's can offer additional content. Knowing how your applications are used (or not used) can help determine if add-ons will add value or long-term usage, or if that development time would be better focused elsewhere.
For developers trying to decide between an ad-supported or direct-pricing model, knowing how often and over what period of time a user uses your apps can show what might be more economically viable.
Ultimately, this sort of data can inform developers about how consumers use their products, which in turn can help better products get developed.
What is Your App Loyalty