When a Business Needs an App—and When a Mobile Website Is Enough

The global mobile market already has billions of users, but that does not mean everyone receives the same quality of digital experience. The next wave of products will compete not only on features, but also on accessibility, clarity, and trust.

The scale of the audience

According to GSMA, around 4.7 billion people, or 58% of the world’s population, use mobile internet. At the same time, billions remain offline even where network coverage exists. Device and data costs, digital skills, safety, and a lack of locally useful content all matter.

How product teams can reduce barriers

• Support affordable devices and older operating-system versions.
• Do not require a fast connection for the core action.
• Use clear language and do not hide important conditions behind technical terms.
• Localize examples, currencies, date formats, and payment journeys—not only strings.

Accessibility is not a charitable add-on. It expands the market and reduces the number of journeys that start but never finish. Teams can measure this through conversion by device type, connection speed, language, and payment method.

A product that works under real conditions across markets usually becomes more reliable for its primary audience too. Simplicity, small payloads, and a correct offline state are investments in both inclusion and quality.

Source: GSMA: Mobile internet usage gap.

In 2025, apps with generative artificial intelligence became one of the most visible areas of the mobile market. But rapid download growth alone does not prove long-term product value.

What the market shows

According to Sensor Tower, downloads of generative AI apps grew 148% year over year in 2025. The number shows strong interest, but it does not answer the more important questions: did users complete a useful task, return the following week, or understand what they were paying for?

AI as a function, not decoration

The strongest scenario starts with a problem, not a model. Users may want to draft text faster, find information, translate a message, understand a document, or make a decision. AI should shorten that path instead of adding another configuration screen.

Four checks for a product team

1. Is the result clear? Users should understand what they will receive.
2. Can the answer be verified? Facts and decisions need sources, warnings, and correction paths.
3. What happens to the data? The product should explain what is processed and why.
4. Is there a manual path? Important actions should not depend on unpredictable generation.

Do not evaluate the feature only by model request volume. Measure time to result, accepted outputs, repeat use, support contacts, and cost per useful outcome. Those metrics show whether AI has become part of the product.

Market growth creates opportunity, but it does not replace product discipline. The winners will not be the loudest AI apps; they will be the products that reliably solve a specific user problem.

Source: Sensor Tower: State of Mobile, 2025 data.

A mobile shopping app is no longer just a digital copy of a catalog. It connects discovery, recommendations, payment, delivery, and post-purchase communication. That is why competition between retail platforms increasingly happens at the level of everyday experience, not price alone.

What the market shows

According to Sensor Tower, retail apps generated 6.6 billion downloads and 41.9 billion hours of use in 2024. The numbers show that mobile has become a permanent touchpoint between brands and shoppers.

What users expect

• Find the right product without complex navigation.
• See current pricing, availability, and delivery terms.
• Save a choice and continue on another device.
• Keep control after payment through status, notifications, and simple returns.

The weakest point in many retail apps is the gap between the promise and the operational experience. A polished catalog cannot compensate for incorrect stock, unexpected fees, or a difficult return. Product metrics should therefore include cancellations, support contacts, repeat purchases, and time to resolve a problem—not only checkout conversion.

A practical approach

Start with three journeys: first purchase, repeat order, and a post-payment problem. Map every step, error, and time to outcome. Then remove everything that does not help the user decide or complete the transaction.

Mobile commerce grows where an app makes a purchase predictable. Global competition only strengthens this requirement: a local service can beat an international player when it understands context better and keeps its promise more reliably.

Source: Sensor Tower: State of Mobile Retail.