A record number of apps were downloaded on Christmas Day this year but the rate of growth slowed from the previous year, according to a report published recently by the Los Angeles Times.

The report said that Christmas Day, which is usually the biggest day for app developers, turned into a gold rush for developers this year.

Flurry, a San Francisco-based analytics & advertising firm, said that figures compiled by it showed that the number of app downloads on Christmas Day this year jumped 11 per cent from the last year to hit a record high. But, the growth stands nowhere when compared with the previous year's figures.

On Christmas Day this year, the amount of app downloads had increased 90 per cent year-on-year. The average day in December saw a 25 per cent rise in downloads this year, while it was at 97 per cent in December last year.

The analytics firm said the figures dropped a strong hint that the market has reached maturation stage.

Commenting on the figures, the firm said, "The slowing growth rates and smaller Christmas Day app download spike signal market maturation. Many consumers in Western Europe and English-speaking countries already have a smartphone and/or a tablet."

The above-mentioned figures were based on analysis of 400,000 downloads of the world's most popular apps.