When you think of mobile apps you instantly think of iPhones, Android devices and perhaps Blackberry’s. But there is a rapidly growing market for mobile apps that are being developed for feature phones.

Feature phones sit in the middle ground, between a basic mobile that will make calls and send texts only and the smartphones that we’re all so used to in the developed world. And as internet and communication infrastructures are improved in other parts of the world, there is a huge market for feature phones. Feature phones will generally have a basic form of GPS, camera, MP3 player, some kind of internet access and perhaps most importantly, the ability to run simple apps. It allows people to have a smartphone-like experience for very little – some cost just $20 (USD) – and often they’re hardy and have a fantastic battery life, unlike smartphones!

Feature phones have become so popular in emerging economies that sales are blowing those for smartphones out of the water. Research firm Gartner estimates worldwide feature phone sales totalled 264.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012, whilst smartphone sales reached 207.7 million.

You would think that with such a huge audience ready and waiting feature phone apps would be ten a penny, but they’re really not. The comparative lack of apps for such devices does mean that it’s much easier to gain attention though.

Obviously there is a target audience issue, many apps are designed and tailored specifically for the developed world – largely because they are a money making tool. But if you want to reach a large proportion of the globe, or that specific market then a feature phone app would be a very wise move.

Facebook is a great example of success when it comes to feature phone apps. In 2007 they released their “Facebook For Every Phone” app, built specifically for mid-range phones. The simple app is a step between the desktop version and the all-singing, all-dancing smartphone version. And just this month they revealed that 100million people are now accessing the network via the app, allowing them to expand in developing markets like Indonesia.

There are obviously some very different challenges when it comes to designing and developing apps for feature phones, though there are many things which become simpler too, for example operating systems and compatibility is all very similar. But if the developing world is your market a mobile app for feature phones should be your weapon of choice.

Image source: Wikimeida