Smartphone and tablet app downloads will pass the 350 billion mark by 2017, reports analytics firm Strategy Analytics in a handout given today.

Mobile Apps Download Forecast: 2008 – 2017, the App Ecosystem Opportunities (AEO) forecast of Strategy Analytics, predicts over $57 billion in revenue from global paid app downloads between 2008 and 2017.

Nevertheless, the firm notes the number of paid apps that will drop to free apps will represent over 91 percent of total downloads five years from now.

Strategy Analytics predicts the rapid growth in percentage of free app downloads will pull down the average selling price of downloaded apps – both free and paid – to 8 cents for smartphone apps by 2017.

The firm adds that the slump in revenue and increase in app store maintenance costs may drive app stores to look at new ways to generate income.

“Paid downloads remain an essential component of the app ecosystem. Paid downloads will remain an important way for smaller developers to monetize their efforts. For developers committed to paid downloads transitioning to tablets may be the smartest way to preserve the business model over the long term. App stores will also see a revenue crunch as more revenue is earned from advertising – revenue generated outside the bounds of the app store – and will need to prepare. Newer platforms such as Windows 8, BlackBerry 10, Tizen and Firefox are building their operating systems and storefronts with this knowledge which should go a long way to making them attractive to developers and end users,” said Josh Martin, Director of Apps Research, Strategy Analytics.

Image: Johan Larsson, via Flickr (CC)

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About Francis Rey Balolong

A coffee junkie who spends most of his time writing about the latest news on social media and mobile technology. I would definitely consider myself a nerd (in the coolest most hipster way possible). That being said, I love technology, music, writing, and all things mobile. Follow me: Google+ Twitter

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