ReportAdjust
Mobile App Trends 2021: A Focus on APAC
1 Jan 202130 pages~16 min full read
APAC dominates the global mobile market, accounting for 64% of total app downloads and 60% of global mobile gaming revenue.
Mobile adoption surged during 2020 lockdowns, driving a 31% increase in regional installs and a 54% rise in sessions year-over-year.
Hyper-casual gaming experienced explosive growth with a 66% increase in installs during 2020, while fintech installs grew by 36% in the same period.
The median effective cost per install (eCPI) dropped significantly from a peak of $1.49 in early 2020 to $0.74 by early 2021.
APAC users exhibit high engagement, with average session lengths exceeding 22 minutes in early 2021.
Fintech apps demonstrated the highest long-term user loyalty, maintaining a 7.14% retention rate at the 30-day mark.
Growth momentum has persisted into 2021, with regional installs rising an additional 4% during the first half of the year.
This analysis examines mobile app performance across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, focusing on the period from January 2019 through May 2021. The data is derived from a sample of 910 top-performing APAC-based apps and the broader Adjust dataset, covering markets including India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. The study concentrates on four primary verticals: fintech, e-commerce, hyper-casual gaming, and non-hyper-casual gaming.
The findings reveal a significant surge in mobile adoption triggered by 2020 lockdowns, with regional installs growing by 31% and sessions increasing by 54% year-over-year. This momentum has largely sustained into 2021, with installs rising an additional 4% in the first half of the year. APAC currently accounts for 64% of global mobile app downloads and 60% of global mobile gaming revenue. Fintech emerged as a standout performer, seeing a 36% increase in installs in 2020 and continued growth in 2021, particularly in Singapore and Vietnam. Hyper-casual gaming also saw explosive growth, with installs rising 66% in 2020.
User engagement metrics indicate that APAC users spend more time in-app than the global average, with session lengths averaging over 22 minutes in early 2021. Retention rates remained stable despite the influx of new users, with fintech maintaining the highest 30-day retention at 7.14%. From a cost perspective, the median effective cost per install (eCPI) peaked at $1.49 in early 2020 before dropping to $0.74 by early 2021. The analysis concludes that while the pandemic accelerated mobile reliance, the resulting shifts in consumer behavior are permanent, requiring marketers to focus on granular user journey data and localized optimization to maintain growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.
