Android Apps vs. iPhone Apps

[HustlinDaily]

So u think androids quality is better than iOS?!confused:

Android beats iOS in quantity when it comes to features.

iOS beats android in quality of everything and quantity of apps.

Good luck finding anything similar to any of the apps I mentioned above on the iPhone.

 

[Guamguy]

What on earth makes you say they are not making money? Go into the appstore and look at the top 50 games. They are making a killing. Most of the very successful apps on the appstore are games.

Yeah. The top 50 list is phony. Do you know how you get to the top 50 list? First keep your apps free for download much of the year. So they download. Then for some days, make the app paid. Ergo. Because of the bug in the App Store, all the instances that were downloaded for free became counted when the app becomes "paid", making it a top "paid" app. Its all phony stats. The top 50 "paid" apps don't really reflect reality.

 

[takeshi]

It all comes down to fragmentation.

As much as people like to find one point of failure to blame there's more than just one variable at play here. "Fragmentation" is a concern but it's not the only concern. Perception of the two markets and the difficulty in using the Android SDK are just a couple of other concerns (among others) that I've seen developers voice.

 

[lordofthereef]

Yeah. The top 50 list is phony. Do you know how you get to the top 50 list? First keep your apps free for download much of the year. So they download. Then for some days, make the app paid. Ergo. Because of the bug in the App Store, all the instances that were downloaded for free became counted when the app becomes "paid", making it a top "paid" app. Its all phony stats. The top 50 "paid" apps don't really reflect reality.

Ok. My point is this. Look at the top 50 paid games. They are, for the most part, name brand and popular games (check out some of the games I listed a few posts above if you want actual names). They are certainly making money, many of them in the millions. Most of the paid apps in that list... were never free. I am not saying there isn't a way to abuse the system. I am not aware there was, but I am not denying it (this discussion was never about the system, but about profitability... or so I thought). My point is, and always will be that games, if they are good, are VERY profitable on the system. This is coming from the companies/teams that produce them, not simply from some sort of list that Apple provides the end user. I am not here to convince anyone of anything, just stating that I think it is foolish to make the blanket statement that iOS games are not profitable. Making a game on iOS does not make it innately profitable; however, making a good and desirable (insert a few other key words like affordable, appealing, etc.) game on iOS certainly is.

 

[mrspeedmaster]

As much as people like to find one point of failure to blame there's more than just one variable at play here. "Fragmentation" is a concern but it's not the only concern. Perception of the two markets and the difficulty in using the Android SDK are just a couple of other concerns (among others) that I've seen developers voice.

There are a couple of things at play here.

Developing for the Android platform has its ups and downs. The user base expects more free apps, there is rampant plagiarism, copyright/trademark infringement (see all the 50 cent ringtones, unlicensed Disney character apps). Then there is the disorganization of the app store itself. Moreover, Google is not really pushing the paid model around the world.

Android developers are not making any money compared to their iOS cohorts.

There are numerous Admob, stats showing that:
1) On average Android users spend less money. Android users expect more free apps. 43% Android vs 75% iOS users inclined to pay for apps.
2) Android developers get less volume/traffic.
3) Less inclined to further develop their apps.
4) Google is not pushing the paid model around the globe.
5) 82% of developer say the marketplace is poorly designed (a gazillion wallpaper apps).

Survey Says Nearly 60 Percent Of Android Developers Unhappy With Profits | mocoNews

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About the games. The games are casual diversions. $2 are impulse purchases but they add up.

Tonight, I was looking for some counting apps for my baby on my Incredible. I counted a total of "7" "toddler counting" apps on Android vs over a hundred on iOS. The iOS ones had authentic licensed theme characters and came from publishing companies such as Disney, the Cartoon Network, and PBS. If you are a parent with kids, there are lots more "cheap" diversions on iOS. The attraction to games cross genders as well. Facebook diversions like Farmville and Mafia War is nowhere to be found on the Google marketplace.

Right now, iOS, despite the large number of apps,seems to be the sure bet for most developers.

The iPad had a breath-taking 3,500 iPad optimized apps at launch. That just shows you how strong the eco-system is.

 

[EarlyMon]

^Again, that's simple economics, as stated earlier.

I wanted to underscore this point you made:

Moreover, Google is not really pushing the paid model around the world.

It ties to what I said earlier - while a software company, Google's business is advertising.

Not all software groups agree with the paid model as most attractive:

Angry Birds Android to top $1 million per month in ad revenue | GyratoryTech - Update Latest Technology

People might want Android to beat the iPhone in every way possible right now - for whatever reasons - but because of simple economics, and maybe common sense, that's just not happening today.

 

[Guamguy]

Ok. My point is this. Look at the top 50 paid games. They are, for the most part, name brand and popular games (check out some of the games I listed a few posts above if you want actual names). They are certainly making money, many of them in the millions. Most of the paid apps in that list... were never free. I am not saying there isn't a way to abuse the system. I am not aware there was, but I am not denying it (this discussion was never about the system, but about profitability... or so I thought). My point is, and always will be that games, if they are good, are VERY profitable on the system. This is coming from the companies/teams that produce them, not simply from some sort of list that Apple provides the end user. I am not here to convince anyone of anything, just stating that I think it is foolish to make the blanket statement that iOS games are not profitable. Making a game on iOS does not make it innately profitable; however, making a good and desirable (insert a few other key words like affordable, appealing, etc.) game on iOS certainly is.

Mobile apps are profitable --- but only to a small segment who got "hit" apps. But for the rest, its not going to be.

Even in iOS apps, there are many developers who don't make money. Their apps are buried among the 300,000 or so. Its been a common complaint for a long time. iPad apps? Subscriptions are well below expectations, people it seems just don't like subscription models. The mobile app business is simply very Darwinistic.

I bought and downloaded many paid apps, including games into my iPod touch. You can tell when the devs stop interest on them when the stream of updates stop. I am an Android user, but I am an iOS user for a much longer time and still am.

And please, stop referring to the Apple biased tech media. They would of course, want to focus on the top 1% of the food chain who made it to success. Never mind the rest who don't. Failures don't make good stories to put in their articles.