Research conducted by Investment Trends found that in 2011 a third of CFD and Forex traders were using smart phones and/or tablets for trading. The research also found that another circa 50% plan to use mobile technology in 2012.

Android is currently the biggest challenger to iPhone, which is currently used by 20% of CFD traders. Over the next 12 months however, Investment Trends expects that the use of iPhone will more than double and that 23% of the CFD trading community in Singapore will use Android apps.

"We concentrated on launching our iPhone and iPad apps first as the majority of our traders are using this platform for their trading. However, take up of Android smartphones collectively among the various brands cannot be ignored as we have seen that this platform has been increasingly adopted by the trading community", said Gavin Ward, Director of Asia at CMC Markets.

The new Android app gives CFD and Forex traders instant access to world markets from any mobile phone running an Android operating system. The Android app includes:

-- Product library: a straightforward filter system allowing traders to analyse any product's performance and volatility within any market

-- Factsheets: to provide traders with the margin requirement and spread for a product, background information, real time Dow Jones news and price action all in one chart

-- Watch lists: allowing CFD traders to create and manage their own customised watch lists. Traders can create as many watch lists as they like synchronised across all CMC Markets' trading platforms

-- Order tickets: packed with the same functions as the web platform, this allows traders to place trades, set stop losses, trail stop losses as well as take profit levels and even show exact margins put forward

The Android app includes most features of CMC Markets trading platform, including the ability to trade companies (shares), indices, currencies and commodities across Asian and international markets using a single trading account.

CMC has also recently upgraded its iPhone and iPad apps. Key features include price alerts with push notifications, performance values, insights, and a new order ticket to match the web platform.