State of the on-device apps markets

Distimo is a company that analyzes and researches the on-device app stores found on smartphones. Based on the company's research, the on-device app store with highest average price per app is BlackBerry App World. Perhaps no surprise considering the number of pinstriped businessmen who use the 'Berry, the average app on App World costs a leading $8.26. The runner-up position goes to Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The average price for an app on the Windows Mobile store is $6.99. Nearly half of that price-$3.62-is the average cost for an app on Apple's App Store. Nokia's Ovi Store comes in 15 cents cheaper per app on average at $3.42 while the lowest cost apps on average belong to the Android Market with an average cost of  $3.27.

Taking a look at the Windows Marketplace for Mobile specifically, Microsoft's desire for localization might be more harmful than helpful. The U.S. leads in the number of apps outstanding with the U.K. in second place but with less than half the number of apps as in the U.S. and the numbers trail off dramatically from there. The top ten free and paid apps are an interesting mixture of different styles. Among the top paid apps is SPB Mobile Shell which costs $29.99 and is number 8 on the paid top ten list. This is a UI that overlays on Windows Mobile. To show you the range of dollar prices on the paid top ten, making the list at number 9 is "A Flashlight" offered for 99 cents. On the top ten free apps list, we find some of the same old freebies found on other app stores like headlines compiler AP Mobile. Others making the zero cost list are Mobile Manager for Netflix, Skyfire mobile browser and Facebook for Windows Mobile.

BlackBerry's App World has a paid top ten list that features functionality as you might expect. Memory boosting downloads are in the 2nd and 3rd place while a couple of weather apps are included in the list. On the freebie top ten for the 'Berry, Pandora is on top with Poynt, ScoreMobile and Viigo among the top ten. Meanwhile, the most expensive download on the top ten list of paid apps on Apple's App Store in the $4.99 for Monopoly. Unlike the other stores, most of the Top Ten for Apple consisted of games which tells you more about the typical iPhone user than anything else. Free apps on the App Store that make the top ten include Facebook, Mad Libs and some video games like Traffic Rush, which is number one among free downloads.

Over at the Market populated by little green robots, Twitter app twidroidPro is number one among apps that you must pay for. For 99 cents, Advanced Task Manager is number 2 amongst paid apps as it helps Android users close down apps not in use. Android users are a social bunch which explains why the top ten free apps in the Android Market include Facebook and MySpace. Number one is the My Account app from T-Mobile, although judging from the response that the DROID and DROID Eris is getting at Verizon, that position at the top is tenuous at best.
Pandora and The Weather Channel are 2 and 3 respectively.

What are the "must have" paid and free apps that you have downloaded on your handset?

source: Distimo via WMPoweruser