Mobile app use outpacing web consumption, study shows

Tablet computer and smartphone users are spending more time interacting with applications than they are browsing the mobile web -- a trend that represents a significant shift from a few years ago.

According to data gathered by Flurry Analytics, as of December 2011, smartphone and tablet users were spending 94 minutes per day using applications and 72 minutes on the mobile web. By comparison, in June 2010, mobile users spent 43 minutes per day using apps and 64 minutes browsing the web.

This trend has been developing for some time. In a blog post, Flurry's Charles Newark-French notes that app usage surpassed mobile web browsing for the first time in June 2011.

The single most-used mobile app is the social network Facebook. However, games are the most popular category of apps, accounting for nearly 50 percent of all mobile app consumption.

Both mobile app and web usage are likely to increase in the coming months as more people adopt tablets and smartphones. According to a study from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, tablet ownership jumped from 10 percent of American adults in December 2011 to 19 percent in January 2012 -- and this growth is expected to continue for years to come.