To say that 2011 was an action packed year is putting it lightly. Regimes were toppled, dictators overtaken, and your mobile device became the dominating force of all things media.

Over the course of 2011 we have seen serious growth in Smartphone ownership, a significant increase in app development, downloads and usage (Facebook mobile was up 166%) as well as the advancement of HTML5 and mobile site technologies. With the New Year right around the corner, now would be a good time to put it all into perspective, while making a few fact-based predictions on how the mobile industry as a whole will evolve over the next few months.

2011 Most Disruptive In Mobile

The Kindle Fire – Over the long term, we’ll certainly look back at Amazon’s launch of its first Android-powered device, the Kindle Fire, as one of the most disruptive events that occurred through the 2011 mobile scene.

A close second has to go to Microsoft for understanding the market shift from PC’s to mobile. The tech giant moved quickly, adapted to change and focused it’s attention to the Windows Phone platform while inking a deal with Nokia, which released one of the most talked about and sexiest devices this year, the Lumia 800.

Biggest Disappointment

RIM - Without a clearly defined strategy anywhere in sight, their PlayBook fiasco and tripping over their overconfidence (not to mention their lies) every step of the way, RIM pretty much fumbled all the way to the 2011 finish line. By now it’s clear that their operating system is no-where near adequate enough to stack up to the competitors.

That being said, RIM’s silver lining is still BlackBerry devices. The company sold 14.1 million phones in Q3, in line with its earlier guidance of 13.5-14.5 million.

Biggest Heartbreak

The passing of Steve Jobs – Much has already been written about this, including: What the legacy of Steve Jobs means to me. RIP.

5 App That Blew Us Away

Facebook for iPhone and iPad – Although Facebook’s iPhone application has been available for a long time, we have to give them credit for constantly staying on its toes and aiming to provide the best user experience, while completely revamping the site’s interface. We’re more than curious to see how the Facebook app will evolve over the course of 2012, and are eager to see the impact that the introduction of mobile ads will generate.

Temple Run for iPhone - As soon as you see that everyone waiting for a flight at the airport is playing the same game, you know that’s a hit title. Temple Run illustrates the opportunities that are available to developers if they focus on creating awesome apps people will want to tell others about.

Vodio for iPad (client) – The initial soft-launch was rolled out in Israel where Vodio (Israel App Store link) received the coveted number 1 spot on the Israeli App Store for top free entertainment apps. Set to release in 2012 globally, Vodio will be a serious contender in the video consumption category on iPad.

Contapps  for Android - Contapps is a free app for Android that unlocks your phone’s contact book potential and makes it easy to connect with people. In other words, Contapps is an alternate phone book app for Android phones that consolidates your contact’s social network updates in one spot.

Flipboard for iPhone - Following the release of their iPad app, The Flipboard Inc. team has done it again, this time for iPhone. Flipboard for iPhone is a beautifully developed social magazine that lets you organize the info you want to look at and then flip through it. Get started by creating an account with Flipboard, then sign in to your favorite social networks.

2011 Mobile App Key Facts

Downloads on Apple’s App Store topped five million per day for the first time ever this past November.

Source: Fiksu

Costs per loyal user on Apple’s App Store topped out at about $1.43 in November, decreasing by just four cents $1.43 from October’s $1.47.

Source: Fiksu

Comparing November to a year ago, App Store download volumes have increased by an impressive 83%, highlighting the colossal expansion of mobile apps in just twelve months.

An estimated one Billion apps were downloaded each month, throughout the course of 2011 and $3 Billion was paid  out by Apple alone to independent app developers and development studios.

What’s In Store For Apps and Mobile in 2012

Apps Are Growing Up – The rise of the mobile web will continue to grow, specifically with retailers and businesses. Given the ubiquity of the web cross platform, the costs associated with cross platform development and the experiences which can be provided via mobile web, developers will shift away from platform specific apps towards developing rich, mobile web experiences.

Faster and Cheaper Android Tablets - Google announced that it was activated more than 550,000 Androids every day in November of 2011, up from 350,000 per day in April. At this rate, it would be no surprise to see Android pass the big one million per day mark mid-way through 2012. Expect a surge of Android based devices from HTC, Samsung,  Nokia, LG, Acer and more to come out of the wordworks.

Businesses Will Get Smarter About Apps - Businesses will get smarter about developing lead-based app marketing campaigns. Business-to-business companies will be leading the charge, but everyone will be on board soon. Year 2012 is set to be the year of lead-based app marketing.

App Powered Everything - Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and other TV Manufactures have already started launching their line of app enabled TVs. These “Smart TVs” can connect to the web through ethernet or wireless connection.  This connectivity allows the user to perform many of the functions on their television that could normally only be done on a computer or mobile device. Samsung has already gone the extra mile by launching their own dedicated App Store for TVs.

In Conclusion

2012 promises to bring us more progress in the mobile space thanks to increased attention to user experience, better development tools and increased opportunities for mobile advertisers and publishers. Fortunately for some, this also means more jobs as the demand for mobile app content and services increase. It was said that mobile media  is the future, I for one believe that the future has officially arrived. Share your thoughts – Reach out to us via Twitter @Apps_Mktg