Real-time app analytics provider Localytics is offering up some interesting information on loyalty as it relates to phone and tablet apps. 

While customers seem willing to give new apps a try (perhaps due to the number of US smartphone users growing from 42.7 million in November 2009 to 61.5 million in November 2010), Localytics data reveals that 26% of the time (on average) customers never the give the application a second try. That's pretty shocking

While tracking downloads is certainly a good step in measuring an application's success, but apps which earn the loyalty of users is certainly a meaningful if not absolutely better metric to determine success. How application developers increase usage and loyalty however is another questin entirely. 

Application analytics solutions like Localytics can certinly help. Seeing usage reports first hand and implimenting event tracking will provide app publishers the information they need to optimize the epxerience and improve overall retention rates. 

So, is loyalty the best measure of an app's success? Or are downloads sufficient?