According to TechCrunch, Juniper Research has just released a new report that claims the value of the mobile dating and chatroom market will grow to nearly $1.4 billion by 2013. That number is generous to a fault but growth is unavoidable, as mobile dating platforms, service providers, developers and applications are currently surging after several years of false-starts.
SpeedDate, a free service which allows singles to connect via three-minute instant message or live video dates, is the first major dating site to launch an iPhone application that offers portable, immediate and 24-hour access to the millions of singles engaged in online dating. “Wink†and “flirt†with singles and identify potential matches at no cost, without skipping a beat of an on-the-go lifestyle.
-The app allows users to finger-swipe through millions of profiles from across the SpeedDate network (SpeedDate.com, FB app, MySpace app, etc.)
-Users can send (and receive) messages to users in all countries with access to iPhones
-Current SpeedDate users can login and manage their existing profile and messages
-The app is free to download
– The full version of SpeedDate costs $59/month!
The SpeedDate.com iPhone application, which has been fully reviewed and approved by Apple, is available for immediate download via the iPhone device or by visiting http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303604914&mt=8.
SpeedDate hosts 120,000 dates per day.
Not to be left behind, HotorNot.com Launches iPhone App.
Skout is another mobile dating service to pay attention to. I’ve been speaking with them about their plans for the online dating market and have been impressed with their vision for 2009.
The Communities Dominating Brands blog has this to say about the size of the worldwide mobile market.
The total circulation of all daily newspapers worldwide is about 480 milllion. Cars? There are about 800 million cars on the planet. Cable and satellite TV subscriptions? About 850 million. Personal computers including desktops, laptops and netbooks, about 1 billion. Fixed landline telephone connections, about 1.2 billion. eMail users about 1.3 billion. Internet users about 1.4 billion. Television sets about 1.5 billion. And credit cards? About 1.7 billion people carry at least one credit card in their wallet.
But there are 4 billion mobile phone subscriptions now in January 2009. More than twice the number of credit card owners, 2.5 times the number of TV sets or internet uses, approx 3 times the number of email users of total landline phones and yes, four times the number of personal computers. This is a monster sized industry, totally towering over all others.
Huge market, great iPhone development tools, many platforms to develop for, multiple entrants in the marketplace and several entrenched competitors all make for a very exciting 2009 for mobile dating.
