According to mobile industry analyst, Bernie Evans, Facebook reported a huge growth in mobile app Facebook use, with Android users growing from 66 million users in September 2011 to 175 million users this past September. iPhone users also increased greatly, with the number of users of the iPhone Facebook app growing from 91 million last year to 140 million this year.

Facebook also reported 470 million users of its smartphone apps across all platforms for September 2012, and a further 45 million users of its iPad app. Facebook reported 1.07 billion users, 604 million of which were classified as “mobile users,” which includes the mobile web.

While the report does mention platforms such as RIM, Nokia, Windows Phone and feature phones, the huge growth only occurred across the current market leader smartphones, iPhone and Android. Bottom line? Mobile use is very important to Facebook now, and should continue into the near future. The company would be crazy not to focus on the mobile space.

“Facebook is becoming an mobile app-based service first and foremost,” said Evans. “Almost half the base is using smartphone apps and we can be sure it’s more than half the use, especially in developed markets, where 75% of users are on mobile in some form.”

• SourceBernie Evans
• ViaThe Appside
• ImageHot Hardware