We'll All Spend 552 Hours a Year In Apps by 2021

From a consumer standpoint, tech neck - the aches and pains felt from frequently looking down to use a handheld device - stands to get worse with App Annie revealing at its inaugural event this month that each mobile user will spend a total of 552 hours annually in apps by 2021.

From a business perspective, App Annie projects that by 2021 there will be 6.3 billion mobile users.

"The app economy continues to evolve. There is massive opportunity for businesses in every industry and every market," said Danielle Levitas, SVP Research and App Annie. "But there is confusion as success metrics, applicable insights, analytics, and benchmarking capabilities vary between industry, category and mobile maturity. Clients may be left unsure what success means to their app business. We're here to help solve this challenge."

A previously published report from the company projected mobile app store revenue to exceed $139 billion in 2021 with in-app advertising and mobile commerce expected to "surge in parallel."