• September 18, 2008

Smartphone users are downloading entertainment and games applications more than any other types of content, according to a new benchmark report by mobile content provider Handango covering the first half of 2008.

Those two categories together accounted for 42% of downloads. Business and professional apps were the third most popular, accounting for 15%. Productivity tools, such as address book and calendar, took fourth place, with 9%.

Handango said the findings showed smartphone owners are now using their devices as mini-entertainment centers in addition to traditional business functions. The report also found BlackBerry devices were the most commonly used smartphones for downloading content.

"Ringtones" was the most searched term in the first half of 2008, followed closely by "games." Handango offers more 140,000 apps spanning categories including entertainment, games, utilities and travel.--Mark Walsh