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Mobile Apps Surpass Games Globally In 2025 As AI Fuels Unprecedented Growth

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 22, 2026

In a landmark shift for the mobile industry, 2025 marked the first year that global consumer spending on non-game mobile apps exceeded that of mobile games. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported in their annual State of Mobile report that worldwide spending on apps reached approximately $85 billion, a 21% increase year-over-year and nearly 2.8 times higher than five years ago.

Generative AI Drives Revenue And User Engagement

The rapid ascendance of generative AI has been a major catalyst in this growth. Revenue from in-app purchases in the generative AI category more than tripled in 2025 to exceed $5 billion, while downloads doubled to 3.8 billion. Leading the charge were AI assistants, with top performers including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and DeepSeek. Notably, ChatGPT generated $3.4 billion in global in-app purchase revenue, underscoring its critical role in reshaping consumer behavior.

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Surge In Engagement And Session Metrics

Consumer engagement reached new heights, with users spending 48 billion hours in generative AI apps—3.6 times more than in 2024 and 10 times the volume of 2023. Session volume surpassed one trillion, indicating that existing users were deepening their interaction with these apps at a rate that outpaced new downloads. This intense engagement is reflective of how seamlessly AI is integrating into everyday mobile activities.

Big Tech Intensifies The AI Battle

Big technology players, including Google, Microsoft, and X, have significantly ramped up their investments in AI assistants to compete with ChatGPT. Their concerted efforts have led to rapid advancements in coding assistance, content generation, and multimedia capabilities. Recent upgrades such as ChatGPT’s GPT-4o image generation model and Google’s Nano Banana exemplify the transformative improvements that are driving consumer adoption.

Consolidation And Expansion In The AI Space

Among the top AI publishers, OpenAI and DeepSeek commanded nearly 50% of global downloads—a substantial increase from 21% in 2024. Concurrently, big tech publishers grew their market share from 14% to nearly 30%, effectively crowding out early ChatGPT alternatives. In addition to AI assistants, other innovative apps, including AI music generation by Suno, ByteDance’s text-to-video solution Jimeng AI, and companion apps such as Character.ai and PolyBuzz, contributed to the expanding AI ecosystem.

Mobile: The Key Connector To Generative AI Services

Sensor Tower’s report underscores the critical role of mobile platforms in mobilizing access to generative AI. In the United States alone, the total audience for AI assistants topped 200 million by year-end, with more than half (110 million) relying exclusively on mobile devices. This stark contrast to the 13 million mobile-only users in 2024 highlights a significant shift in consumer preferences and the increasing indispensability of mobile applications as conduits for innovative AI technologies.

Diverse Revenue Streams Beyond AI

While AI was the dominant revenue driver, the report also notes robust contributions from social media, video streaming, and productivity apps. In particular, social media apps commanded an average of 90 minutes of daily user engagement, culminating in nearly 2.5 trillion hours spent globally—a 5% year-over-year increase. This diversity in revenue streams underscores the resilience and dynamism inherent in the mobile app ecosystem.

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Cyprus Hits Historic Tourism Peak As Overtourism Risks Mount

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 13, 2026

Record-Breaking Performance In Tourism

Cyprus’ tourism sector achieved unprecedented success in 2025 with record-breaking arrivals and revenues. According to Eurobank analyst Konstantinos Vrachimis, the island’s performance was underpinned by solid real income growth and enhanced market diversification.

Robust Growth In Arrivals And Revenues

Total tourist arrivals reached 4.5 million in 2025, rising 12.2% from 4 million in 2024, with momentum sustained through the final quarter. Tourism receipts for the January–November period climbed to €3.6 billion, marking a 15.3% year-on-year increase that exceeded inflation. The improvement was not driven by volume alone. Average expenditure per visitor increased by 4.6%, while daily spending rose by 9.2%, indicating stronger purchasing power and higher-value tourism activity.

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Economic Impact And Diversification Of Source Markets

The stronger performance translated into tangible gains for the broader services economy, lifting real tourism-related income and overall sector turnover. Demand patterns are also shifting. While the United Kingdom remains Cyprus’ largest source market, its relative share has moderated as arrivals from Israel, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland have expanded. This gradual diversification reduces dependency on a single market and strengthens resilience against external shocks.

Enhanced Air Connectivity And Seasonal Dynamics

Air connectivity has improved markedly in 2025, with flight volumes expanding substantially compared to 2019. This expansion is driven by increased airline capacity, enhanced route coverage, and more frequent flights, supporting demand during shoulder seasons and reducing overreliance on peak-month flows. Seasonal patterns remain prominent, with arrivals building through the spring and peaking in summer, thereby bolstering employment, fiscal receipts, and corporate earnings across hospitality, transport, and retail sectors.

Structural Risks And Future Considerations

Despite strong headline figures, structural challenges remain. The European Commission’s EU Tourism Dashboard highlights tourism intensity, seasonality, and market concentration as key risk indicators. Cyprus records a high ratio of overnight stays relative to its resident population, signalling potential overtourism pressures. Continued reliance on a limited group of origin markets also exposes the sector to geopolitical uncertainty and sudden demand swings. Seasonal peaks place additional strain on infrastructure, housing availability, labour supply, and natural resources, particularly water.

Strategic Investment And Market Resilience

Vrachimis concludes that sustained growth will depend on targeted investment, product upgrading, and continued market diversification. Strengthening year-round offerings, improving infrastructure capacity, and promoting higher-value experiences can help balance demand while preserving long-term competitiveness. These measures are essential not only to manage overtourism risks but also to ensure tourism remains a stable pillar of Cyprus’ economic development.