Mintegral, a global advertising platform, has identified three major trends driving mobile growth across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region as 2025 approaches. The primary trends include the rise of AI-powered apps, the expansion of short-form drama content, and the increasing importance of third-party Android stores as cost-efficient channels for user acquisition.
AI-Powered Apps' Impact
In 2024, AI consumer apps reached 1.5 billion downloads and generated $1.3 billion in revenue. AI chatbots experienced an impressive 119% year-on-year growth, while AI art generators grew by 21%. Additionally, 16 generative AI apps surpassed $10 million in in-app purchases, and 25 apps achieved over 10 million downloads.
Short-Form Drama Growth
Short-form drama, characterized by episodic and quick video storytelling, has experienced explosive growth. Since the third quarter of 2023, short-video apps saw a 50-200% increase in quarterly performance. Monetization for these platforms is primarily ad-supported, accounting for roughly 90% of revenue, with the remaining 10% from in-app purchases and token subscriptions. Indonesia currently leads in global short-drama downloads, contributing 39%, followed by Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Japan/Korea.
Third-Party Android Store Opportunities
Alternative Android stores, such as those from Xiaomi, Amazon, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei, are emerging as valuable channels for scalable user acquisition. Through Mintegral's self-serve access and SDKs, advertisers can effectively target these platforms. Data from Amazon's app store highlights cost-per-install (CPI) as low as $0.26–$0.42, with daily installs ranging from 2,000 to 5,000, depending on app genre and bidding strategy.
Mintegral offers actionable guidance for advertisers aiming to capitalize on these trends: 1) Implement ROAS-aligned bidding models for better revenue targeting, 2) Utilize creative automation tools like dynamic creative optimization, and 3) Diversify distribution by exploring third-party Android stores and optimizing high-performing verticals.
