App downloads increased by 33 per cent in October, following the 21 September launch of the iPhone 5, according to data from Fiksu. The App Store Competitive Index – representing the average aggregate daily download volume of the USs top 100 free iOS apps – hit a total 5.4m.

Meanwhile, the cost to acquire a loyal app user dropped by six per cent month-on-month, to $1.06. According to Fiksu, this was down to significant increases in organic searches and app discovery, which were in turn partially driven by the arrival of a new iPhone. The drop also continues the downward trajectory the index has seen since it peaked at $1.54 in July – meaning its getting ever cheaper to acquire, and keep hold of, new users for your app.

“October was a month of opportunity for mobile app marketers,” said Fiksu CEO Micah Adler. “Organic searches soared, as users around the world sought out new apps for their new iPhones. This heightened period of organic discovery – coupled with peak download volumes – drove down the cost of loyal user acquisition. Some savvy marketers chose to ride this wave without substantially increasing their advertising spending.”