I’m just having a quick look at the branded app chart from Brand Republic and it looks like app downloaders are a mixed bunch.

iSimples, which allows you to play a selection of phrases from the infurating little rodent (is it a rodent?) comes in first, followed by The National Trust’s local search tool and Auto-Trader’s car buying engine.

I was one of the millions who downloaded all of these last week and the week before, along with Creme Egg (4), Facebook – many moons ago (5) and Rightmove (11). These are the ones that have stuck around, I did have the Barclaycard water slide (15) for a while but it got old quick, and also had a notable lack of any useful branding but that’s by the by.

As I said at the start these apps are pretty diverse, indicating the fact that iPhone ownership has been and still is spreading like wildfire, but they do seem to have one thing in common; they’re free.

Like the majority of users of digital tools and content iPhone users aren’t that happy to pay. I bought my first paid for app for the grand sum of 69p last week and it was a tough decision, it was sleep cycle by the way and I’m loving analysing my sleep rhythms.

Branded apps are a great way to interact with the public and even though app development can be a costly business, brands see it as a good investment to fork out for one. In the end they’re just another way to engage possible customers for your product or service and the most successful branded apps do tend to be free.

Unless of course you’re Jamie Oliver, whose $7.99 cookery app has been flying off the shelves…