Gartner identifies 10 consumer mobile applications to watch for in 2012

Technology research firm Gartner, Inc, has identified what it believes will be the most important mobile applications in 2012.

Focusing on high-end devices with an average selling price of over $300 dollars, analysts have identified the top 10 cutting-edge technologies and trends for 2012.

Winning mobile apps will have unique features that cater to the mobile environment rather than act as a mobile extension of their online peers.

''Mobile applications will be a highly competitive marketplace that attracts the interest of many stakeholders,'' says Sandy Shen, research director at Gartner. ''Increasingly, mobile applications will define the user experience on high-end devices and device vendors that proactively integrate innovative apps and technologies at the platform layer will have the competitive edge.''

Mobile apps themselves will not only generate good revenue ($15.9 billion in expected end-user spending in 2012) but will also drive hardware sales, advertising spending and technology innovation. Gartner expects brand companies to increasingly shift their marketing budget to the mobile channel, and experiment with cutting-edge apps to capture marketing and sales opportunities. Companies, as well as technology and service providers, that stay abreast of the latest developments could make their products stand out from the pack, enhance brand image and retain user loyalty.

Gartner's top 10 consumer applications to watch in 2012 include:
Location-based services (LBSs). Location is one of the main enablers that deliver services to users based on their context and, Gartner expects the total user base of consumer LBSs to reach 1.4 billion users by 2014.