OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2012. Earlier, Apple released App Store Rewind 2011, the company's annual lists detailing of the top selling apps. In the China ranking, ICBC's iPhone Banking and iPad Banking have been chosen as the Best iPhone Financial App of the Year and Best iPad Financial App of the Year, the only bank applications winning the financial awards of the year, reported the press-centre of ICBC.

App Store is an online application distribution platform developed by Apple Inc. The service allows users to browse and download applications for iPhone, iPad devices. As of today, over 500,000 mobile applications around the world have been uploaded to App Store, more than 400,000 apps just in China. Every year in December, Apple announced the best apps based on the download volume, user ratings and expert recommendations for Apple users as reference. Apple separates the iPhone apps from iPad apps and grouped them under different categories. Five best apps of the Year are chosen from each category.

ICBC iPhone Banking and iPad Banking named as the best Apple financial app indicates the fast adoption of mobile financial services in China, said industry insiders. In the first half of 2011, ICBC saw the prevalence of wireless network and gigantic 3G network and embarked programs on accelerated product innovation after careful study on the customer requirements. iPhone Banking and iPad Banking were launched subsequently and warmly welcomed by the customers. iPhone Banking, once launched, ranked No.1 among the financial softwares available in App Store Asia Pacific. So far, ICBC iPhone Banking was downloaded more than 600,000 times in App Store, while iPad Banking downloaded more than 200,000 times.

Apart from the comprehensive, convenient and fast financial services available to customers through mobile phones, ICBC leverages innovative products to deliver useful information and navigation directions such as location of nearest bank outlets, banking hours. The mobile terminals combined with gravity sensor and multi-touch let customers experience faster and trendy mobile services. Based on this, ICBC also launched the "ICBC Mobile Banking" service across the country. ICBC is the first commercial bank in China to roll out the mobile financial service with an array of mobile banking solutions. "ICBC Mobile Banking" represents a wide range of ICBC mobile financial products: SMS Banking, Mobile Banking (WAP), iPhone Banking, Android Banking, WindowsPhone Banking and iPad Banking. Customers will benefit from the convenience of being able to check their accounts, transfer/remit money, make bill payments, buy/sell precious metals, wealth management products or exchange currency.

An executive with ICBC said, ICBC will continue keeping a close eye on development and trends within the mobile internet sector. While focusing on the delivery of mobile financial services, ICBC will forge partnership with different industry partners to offer "work + living + financial" integrated mobile services for customers, services that organically combining everyday services (entertainment, restaurant, travel, ticketing) and online payment, available anytime, anywhere. ICBC continues to write new chapters during the mobile internet era.