The competition between Apple and Android apps has never been this hotter—and tougher. In fact, it’s so close a fight other types of mobile apps such as Windows and Blackberry are lagging so far behind.
The battle between the two, however, is completely understandable. Apple and Android, headed by Google, are two of the fastest-producing mobile device manufacturers in the world, selling millions a month. They, of course, represent two of the popular stores that are preferred by developers especially those who want to earn huge bucks like Rovio, which made Angry Birds.
Nevertheless, in every duel, there should be a potential winner and loser. Between the two, who is gaining the lead?
Number of Units
The number of units doesn’t clearly tell which between the two is leading when it comes to apps developments and downloads. After all, every mobile device user can download a lot of apps. However, the quantity of Androids and Apple products sold still matter since unless they sell mobile devices, there will be no downloaded apps to begin with.
Interestingly, Android is currently taking the first spot. Based on the infographic released by Life of Android, Android takes more than 45 percent share of the total units sold in the United States. This is then followed by iOS with 30 percent then RIM Blackberry and Windows Mobile with 14.9 and 4.6 percent respectively.
Number of Apps Downloaded
We already told you why the unit quantity isn’t enough. The data in this section will tell you why. Though there are more Android devices sold, it seems like there are more iOS apps downloaded. According to a report by Xyologic, in 2011 there were 25 billion iOS app downloads compared to only 10 billion Android app downloads. All 40 top apps of 2012, moreover, are found in iOS.
Nevertheless, Android is no longer taking a backseat. If you’re going to look at the Country App Download Service data sheet of Xyologic, you’ll find out more Android apps are downloaded in European countries such as Great Britain, Germany, and Italy. Also some supposed exclusive iOS apps are now found in Google Play like Instagram.
The Threat of the Google Android Market [Google Play]
Nevertheless, Android should not celebrate yet. Even before they can fully take flight and dominate the app market and development, they are already facing a huge threat.
Unlike Apple, which has only one store (and that’s iTunes), Google actually allows developers to upload and then sell their apps not only in Google Play but also in other stores such as Amazon App Store. That is beneficial to the developers, but perhaps not so for Google, which might also be trying to boost its revenues through apps. Based on the latest data, for instance, more than 65 percent of Amazon apps are not found in Google Play. Further, Amazon has expressed its strong desire to create its own apps for its Android devices such as Kindle Fire.
Another threat to Android is the more reliable and stable architecture of iOS. Though there are already several versions for iPhones, iPads, and iPods, the dimensions and screen size almost never change.
To top it off, even if Android is already eating a big part of the market share, it still doesn’t change the fact Apple earns the most of the applications revenue. According to Androlib, which monitors market information for Android, more than 80 percent of the total app revenue has been earned by Apple.
That data is extremely crucial because it means there could be more Apple mobile device users who are willing to spend for an app. For any developer, therefore, Apple still remains a very attractive and no. 1 priority for app development and revenue generation.
Conclusion
Does this mean Android has lost all its aces? No, it doesn’t. Besides, Android also has a lot of plusses. However, it might not take an entire year before it gets the app development crown from Apple.
Source:
http://www.touchartists.com/2012/opinion-is-apple-wining-ground-in-the-app-war-against-android-apps/