Each week the MEF team curates mobile stories from around the world. Essential news, the latest market insight & data nuggets, the Global News Round-up offers an instant international mobile content and commerce snapshot.
Global News Stories
WhatsApp Suddenly Looks Like A Huge Threat To Facebook
Business Insider
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has twice addressed the issue of whether the social network is losing traction among teens recently, and twice he’s said that it’s a non-issue. Facebook isn’t seeing a decline among younger people, he says (although he admits it’s not as cool as it used to be.) He might want to look again at WhatsApp Messenger, the group messaging service that is huge outside the U.S. and gaining ground within it. It’s got more than 300 million users and carries 25 billion messages every day.
It’s Over For Paid Apps, With A Few Exceptions
TechCrunch
Is it over for paid mobile apps? That’s the general thinking these days, as the App Stores fill up with “good enough” alternatives to paid apps, while major publishers game the charts with free offerings that make millions which can then be used for their ongoing user acquisition efforts. That’s one of the reasons why the top charts of the App Store have gotten so difficult to break into for new publishers today, in fact.
Dual Screening to Blame for Ignored Marketing Messages?
Mobile Marketing Magazine
Dual screening is now done by 44 per cent of consumers at least once per week, according to Yougov research on behalf of Responsys. The survey, featured in the 30 Seconds or Less whitepaper, found that 25 to 34-year-olds are most likely to do it, with 26 per cent dual screening every day. Meanwhile, 64 per cent of over 55s say that they have never done it.
Visa, MasterCard and Amex create system to simplify mobile and online payments
Mobile Money Revolution
The big card giants are well aware of the fact that their offline processes don’t translate too well to online/mobile.The forms take too long to fill, security is an issue. Abandoned transactions are common. Something simpler is needed. It’s why PayPal and Square have flourished, and why Visa is itself working on V.me while MasterCard has MasterPass – both of which aim to replace the long process with a PIN. But this new system goes further.
Men outpace women on mobile purchases but not for long: report
Mobile Commerce Daily
While 22.2 percent of men have made a purchase on their smartphone compared to 18.2 percent of women, these roles could soon change as women become more comfortable with mobile, according to a report from SeeWhy.
Cheap smartphones set to flourish as high-end devices stagnate [Report]
Memeburn
Apple may be selling the iPhone 5S in record numbers, but within the next five years it could be smartphones at the bottom end of the market that are dominating headlines. According to a new report from Juniper Research, around 200-million so-called “ultra low-cost” smartphones — ones which it defines as retailing for under US$74 — will sell in 2018, compared with just 10-million this year.
Digital Ads Will Be 22% Of All U.S. Ad Spend In 2013, Mobile Ads 3.7%; Total Global Ad Spend In 2013 $503B
TechCrunch
Global ad spend in 2013 will see steady growth of 3.5% to reach $503 billion by the end of the year, and the amount going into internet advertising will continue to get larger, according to figures out today from Publicis-owned ad agency ZenithOptimedia.
South Korea claims industry first as fingerprint-based payment lands on Android smartphones
The Next Web
Apple may have rolled out the fingerprint sensor on its iPhone 5s to great reviews, with talk of it being applied to mobile payments soon, but an Android-run device in South Korea has jumped the gun and is getting what is apparently the world’s first fingerprint-based mobile payment service.
Facebook retools mobile app install ads to boost engagement, conversions
Fierce Mobile Content
Facebook is overhauling its mobile app install ads program, unveiling a series of new features built to help businesses increase engagement and conversions within their applications.
The Facebook install ads, introduced last fall, promote Apple iOS and Google Android applications based on the apps and games consumers already access on their smartphones. The new features aim to reach users that have already downloaded a given app and direct them back into specific features..
Global News Round-up – These articles are not written by MEF and do not represent any views of individuals, members or the organisation.
