App usage skyrocketed last year, iPhone owners wealthier than Android owners

Total US mobile app usage has increased 52% in the past year, according to a recent comScore report. For the first time, mobile app usage accounts for the majority (52%) of digital media time spent.

Approximately seven out of every eight minutes of media consumed on mobile devices was spent in apps. More than one-third of all US smartphone owners download at least one app per month. The average smartphone downloads three apps per month.

Fifty-seven percent of smartphone users access apps every single day of the month. Forty-two percent of all app time spent on smartphones occurs on an individual's single most used app.

Facebook is the most popular app in terms of audience size and share of time spent.

iPhone versus Android

The median iPhone app user earns $85,000 per year, or 40% more than the median Android phone user. On average, iPhone users engage with their smartphone apps for nine more hours per month than Android users.

Not only are iPhone users richer, but they're also younger. Forty-three percent of iPhone users are between the ages of 18-34, whereas 39% of Android phone users are in the same age group. Same goes for tablet usage: 57% of iPad users are younger than 45 as compared to 53% of Android tablet users.

• Top free and paid apps for your mobile device