Mintegral has identified three significant trends influencing mobile growth in the Asia-Pacific region as we approach the end of 2025: the adoption of AI-powered applications, the rise of short-form drama content, and the emergence of third-party Android stores.
In 2024, AI-powered consumer applications achieved 1.5 billion downloads and generated .3 billion in revenue. AI chatbots grew by 119% year-on-year, and 16 generative AI applications surpassed million in in-app purchases.
Short-form drama content has seen explosive growth, with short-video apps reporting quarter-on-quarter expansions of 50–200% since Q3 2023. Indonesia leads the global short-drama download market with a 39% share.
Third-party Android stores, including those from Xiaomi, Amazon, and Samsung, are emerging as valuable channels for advertisers. Cost-per-install (CPI) in Amazon’s app store can be as low as [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Shifts in Mobile Growth Across APAC
Mintegral, a prominent global advertising platform, has recently shared insightful data and advertiser perspectives that unveil three significant trends poised to influence mobile growth in the Asia-Pacific region as we approach the end of 2025. This analysis highlights the widespread adoption of AI-powered applications, the rapid ascent of short-form drama content, and the rise of third-party Android stores, which present a promising “blue ocean” opportunity for scalable and cost-effective user acquisition.
The findings from Mintegral reveal that AI features are becoming integral to consumer experiences, short-form drama is evolving into a favored global entertainment format, and alternative Android channels are quietly fostering robust growth beyond the conventional app store duopoly.
AI Crosses the Chasm
AI-powered consumer applications have firmly established themselves in the mainstream market. In 2024 alone, this category achieved an impressive 1.5 billion downloads and generated US.3 billion in revenue. Within this segment, AI chatbots experienced a remarkable year-on-year growth of 119%, while AI art generators saw a 21% increase. Notably, 16 generative AI applications surpassed US million in in-app purchases, and 25 apps achieved over 10 million downloads, indicating a growing willingness among users to invest in AI-driven utility, creativity, and productivity.
For marketers, this signifies that AI is no longer a fleeting trend; it has become a lasting consumer habit. Developers who focus on pragmatic, need-based AI features across productivity, finance, and community sectors are witnessing substantial engagement, while advertisers can tap into conversion-ready audiences at scale.
Short-Form Drama from APAC Goes Global
The phenomenon of “short-drama”—characterized by episodic, easily digestible video storytelling—has experienced explosive growth, with short-video applications reporting quarter-on-quarter expansions of 50–200% since the third quarter of 2023. The monetization model for this content remains predominantly ad-supported, accounting for approximately 90% of revenue, with the remaining 10% derived from in-app purchases and token-based subscriptions.
Indonesia currently leads the global short-drama download market with a 39% share, followed by Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Japan/Korea. This trend underscores the resonance of APAC-born entertainment formats with audiences worldwide.
For marketers, this signals the emergence of a new entertainment category that seamlessly blends binge-worthy storytelling with performance marketing opportunities. Strategies such as rewarded video units, daily check-ins, and task-based engagement are now essential for balancing reach and retention.
Third-Party Android Stores: The New “Blue Ocean”
In addition to the well-known Google Play and Apple’s App Store, third-party Android stores—including those from Xiaomi, Amazon, Samsung, Oppo/Vivo, Huawei, and various regional platforms across Eastern Europe—are emerging as high-potential channels for advertisers seeking affordable scalability.
Mintegral’s self-serve access and SDK integrations enable performance advertisers to easily target and optimize campaigns across these alternative stores. Case studies from Amazon’s app store indicate that cost-per-install (CPI) can be as low as US[cyberseo_openai model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Rewrite a news story for a business publication, in a calm style with creativity and flair based on text below, making sure it reads like human-written text in a natural way. The article shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. The article shall NOT start from a title. Response language English. Generate HTML-formatted content using tag for a sub-heading. You can use only , , , , and HTML tags if necessary. Text: Hanoi: Mintegral, a leading global advertising platform, has unveiled its latest data and advertiser insights highlighting three major shifts shaping mobile growth across APAC as 2025 draws to a close. The new analysis points to the mass adoption of AI-powered apps, the meteoric rise of short-form drama content, and the emergence of third-party Android stores as the next “blue ocean” opportunity for scalable, cost-efficient user acquisition.
According to Mintegral’s findings, AI features are moving mainstream, short-form drama is fast becoming a global entertainment format, and alternative Android channels are quietly delivering high-quality growth beyond the traditional app store duopoly.
AI Crosses the Chasm
AI-powered consumer apps have gone fully mainstream. In 2024 alone, the category recorded 1.5 billion downloads and US$1.3 billion in revenue. Within this segment, AI chatbots grew 119% year-on-year, while AI art generators expanded by 21%. Notably, 16 generative AI apps surpassed US$10 million in in-app purchases, and 25 apps exceeded 10 million downloads, signaling that users are increasingly willing to pay for AI-driven utility, creativity, and productivity.
What it means for marketers: AI is no longer a novelty—it’s a durable consumer habit. Developers who build pragmatic, need-based AI features across productivity, finance, and community are seeing strong traction, while advertisers are accessing conversion-ready audiences at scale.
Short-Form Drama from APAC Goes Global
The “short-drama” phenomenon—episodic, snackable video storytelling—has seen explosive growth, with short-video apps posting 50–200% quarter-on-quarter expansion since Q3 2023. The monetization model remains largely ad-supported (~90%), with the remainder stemming from in-app purchases and token-based subscriptions (~10%).
Indonesia now leads global short-drama downloads at 39% share, followed by Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and Japan/Korea — reflecting how APAC-born entertainment formats are resonating with worldwide audiences.
What it means for marketers: A new entertainment category is emerging that blends bingeable storytelling with performance marketing opportunities. Rewarded video units, daily check-ins, and task-based engagement are now the standard levers to balance reach and retention.
Third-Party Android Stores: The New “Blue Ocean”
Beyond Google Play and Apple’s App Store, third-party Android stores—including Xiaomi, Amazon, Samsung, Oppo/Vivo, Huawei, and regional platforms across Eastern Europe—are becoming high-potential channels for advertisers seeking affordable scale.
Through Mintegral’s self-serve access and SDK integrations, performance advertisers can target and optimize campaigns across these stores with ease. Case studies from Amazon’s app store show CPI as low as US$0.26–0.42 and daily installs between 2,000–5,000, depending on app genre and bidding strategy.
What it means for marketers: These “blue-ocean” channels are reducing dependency on crowded ad auctions while expanding reach for gaming, utility, and entertainment apps.
Actionable Guidance for Advertisers
Mintegral recommends advertisers act now to capture this momentum through three key approaches:
Adopt ROAS-Aligned Bidding Models: Run Target ROAS, Hybrid ROAS, or Target CPE strategies to optimize toward revenue outcomes like D7 retention or paid conversions, rather than vanity metrics.
Leverage Creative Automation: Use dynamic creative optimization and playables to iterate rapidly across short-drama and AI-driven app formats.
Diversify Distribution: Incorporate third-party stores into media plans to unlock incremental, cost-efficient scale while whitelisting high-performing verticals and sub-channels.
" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" ].26–0.42, with daily installs ranging from 2,000 to 5,000, depending on the app genre and bidding strategy.
For marketers, these “blue-ocean” channels offer a means to reduce reliance on crowded ad auctions while broadening reach for gaming, utility, and entertainment applications.
Actionable Guidance for Advertisers
Mintegral advises advertisers to seize this momentum by implementing three key strategies:
Adopt ROAS-Aligned Bidding Models: Implement Target ROAS, Hybrid ROAS, or Target CPE strategies to optimize for revenue outcomes such as D7 retention or paid conversions, rather than focusing solely on vanity metrics.
Leverage Creative Automation: Utilize dynamic creative optimization and playable ads to rapidly iterate across short-drama and AI-driven app formats.
Diversify Distribution: Integrate third-party stores into media plans to unlock incremental, cost-efficient scale while whitelisting high-performing verticals and sub-channels." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].26–0.42, with daily installs between 2,000 and 5,000.
Mintegral recommends that advertisers adopt ROAS-aligned bidding models, leverage creative automation, and diversify distribution by incorporating third-party stores into their media plans.
