A mobile application is a relatively new piece of technology which has taken the world by storm. It has really come into its own with the development of smartphones by different manufacturers in recent years. These applications when downloaded and installed can now allow your mobile phone to do a wide range of new tasks.

The most well known mobile phones which utilise applications are the Blackberry and the iPhone. Since these were created there have been others appearing on the market which include those operating on the Android system and those using Windows mobile.

From the initial applications which focused on just a few fancy additional features for your mobile phone an entire business sector has now been created. You are now able to buy applications which include maps, allow you to play music, even down to an application where you can email someone whilst walking yet use the camera on your phone as your eyes so you do not walk into people or objects.

The sheer number of applications available is mind blowing with the Apple store having over 50,000 available to buy. Other applications can be bought specifically for your mobile phone manufacturer with Nokia having thousands of applications listed as do Blackberry. Windows mobile itself has over 20,000 applications and with all of the manufacturers the sheer numbers are increasing virtually on a week to week basis.

Mobile phone applications have been around in some format for a number of years with the ability to download and install ringtones and games to your phone however with some of the earlier applications you had to use a computer and then connect your phone to the computer and install it that way. Today with the new smartphones this can be done directly and in next to no time.

Experts looking at the applications market predict that the next stage in mobile phone applications is in several of them being combined into what are really super apps. This has already been achieved with some but while the focus is on developing new things to do with your phone then this part of the market shall develop later on when people begin to run out of new individual ideas.

Prices for mobile applications can vary depending on your manufacturer and also what it is you are buying. Obviously some are more complex than others and have taken much more time to code and produce so these may cost more. However you can also find a number of very useful applications being made available for free but they may also have a paid version with a number of additional extras.

If you are thinking of moving to a smartphone then you should perhaps spend some time looking at the applications that are available for each make before deciding on what you would like to buy. Your phone may cost a bit more but depending on the applications you want this may be your only option. Doing a search such as this shows you how development of these applications now also comes from the manufacturers themselves as well as independent developers.