Smartphones are proliferating. As branches close and margins shrink, banks are thinking even more about building out their digital channels.

Note: Due to the length of this report and its extensive images of apps in use, it is available for download in four consecutive parts.

The mobile market is still relatively young. Financial institutions in the lower tiers are rushing to expand their offerings to match the top tier banks. As distribution channels multiply and increasingly become self-service, financial institutions have begun to realize the need for a seamless, integrated customer experience across all channels.

In the report What App, Doc? A Biannual Evaluation of Mobile Banking at the Top US Banks, Celent looks at the top 13 US retail banks by asset size and evaluates and scores each of their mobile offerings based on a number of criteria. Platforms include iOS, Android, Mobile Web using the Safari browser, and SMS.

“Users are much more comfortable checking balances and making transfers through their mobile device,” says Bart Narter, Senior Vice President with Celent’s Banking Group and coauthor of the report. “More advanced features, such as mobile RDC and P2P payments, are still in the process of becoming mainstream.”

“Banks that allocate significant resources toward developing highly functional mobile applications for the smartphone market will be better positioned to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customer base,” adds Stephen Greer, Analyst with Celent’s Banking Group and coauthor of the report.

This report examines trends in the industry. It then outlines the usability of each application, as well as its score within Celent’s ABCD analysis. Features and functionality tables are then listed, followed by an in-depth look at each mobile application, featuring screenshots and analysis.

This 128-page report contains 108 figures and 16 tables.