Samsung says things are getting Bada all the time

Korean giant Samsung claims that 42 percent of phone users worldwide will pay to download applications. That’s ahead of the launch of its Bada platform.

Bada is Samsung’s “open” mobile platform and the firm said the survey showed that 54 percent of the people it surveyed will pay up to $8 for each application downloaded.

The most popular applications, according to the survey, are travel and navigation applications, photography, work and shopping.

How so? Dr Hoosoo Lee, head of the media solutions center at Samsung said: “Our findings show the vast potential of the applications market and the huge untapped revenues, driven by high levels of consumer demand. We aim to make smartphone features accessible to everyone, so that developers can reach larger audiences and the variety and creativity of apps can be enjoyed by many.”

The survey threw up some interesting gender differences. Gaming apps are more popular with women than men. Women also like photography applications. Six out of 10 women use apps to enrich their family life.

Samsung surveyed 500 male and females of different ages for the survey.