This post is part of our series that looks at the tech gadgetry and geeky moments that went truly viral in Asia in 2014. Check out google.com/2014 for lists of the most popular searches around the world. Enjoy!
Just how much do Indonesians love to chat? A lot. On average, Indonesians have at least 3 chat apps installed on their smartphones—25% of Indonesian smartphone users have more than 5. In fact, Indonesians searched for and downloaded so many chat apps that we have a whole list of the most searched-for chat apps in Indonesia.
Top gadgets in Indonesia
iPhone 6
Nokia X
Samsung Galaxy Core
ASUS Zenfone 5
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy V
Samsung Galaxy S4
iPhone 5S
Blackberry Z3
Samsung Galaxy Grand
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Top chat apps in Indonesia
BBM
WhatsApp
Line
WeChat
Skype
Yahoo Messenger
Facebook Messenger
Kakao Talk
BeeTalk
Kik Messenger
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What’s notable is the fact that while Blackberry used to be king in Indonesia, searches for Blackberry’s latest device comes in 9th place, while various Samsung models take up five spots out of the top ten. However, it seems like everyone is still tied to Blackberry Messenger, as BBM reigned as the most searched-for chat app of 2014. In fact, BBM was searched for twice as much as WhatsApp, its nearest rival. What’s clear though is that no matter the device they’re on, Indonesians are certainly agnostic about which app they use to communicate with each other.
Google search trends capture just how competitive Asia is for homegrown messaging apps, whose popularity completely eclipses those that are popular in the West. For instance, note that for all of Indonesia’s obsession with chat apps, the one that didn’t make it big in Indonesia was one that exploded in popularity in the West this year: Snapchat.
As this chart shows, although Snapchat got
more search interest globally than WeChat, it’s striking how little the two chat apps overlap in their spheres of influence.
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| Snapchat and WeChat: never the twain shall meet? |
The interest in Line in Indonesia also heralds how Asia’s mobile Internet is becoming truly pan-Asian. Five years ago, Japan’s mobile Internet was dominated by flip NEC phones. Indonesia’s was dominated by Blackberrys. Korea had only just been given the regulatory approval to bring in the iPhone. Now Line, an app developed in Japan by a Korea-owned company, is rivaling Skype and Facebook Messenger in Indonesia for domination. Seen in that light, Indonesia’s love of chat apps looks less like a national obsession, and more like a regional leading indicator.
Posted by Jason Tedjasukmana, Communications Manager, Google Indonesia
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