Few years back, any phone which could offer a bit more than
basic calling was dubbed a ‘smartphone.’ In fact, phones which offered calendar
and emailing facilities were possibly the ‘smartest’ of the era. Thanks primarily to Apple and Google, the
quintessential smartphone of today is as much defined by its built-in features
as its ability to play with ‘apps’. The massive apps explosion (thanks to the
Android -Apple face-off) has sparked off perhaps the most intensely debated
topic of our times—‘Who has the best apps, Android or iOS?’
Statistics reveal that the App Store is a much bigger apps
repository than the Android Market. Going by the latest figures, Apple Store
holds 459,589 apps to Android’s 319,161. But it’s the other way round when it
comes to apps downloads. With 44% share vs. Apple’s 31%, Android users are now
downloading more mobile apps than iPhone and iPad users combined. So in a sense
both platforms are enjoying their fair share of the pie. Despite Android’s greater market share (downloads), iOS is still
known to pique greater developer interest. Out of every ten apps created in the
first quarter of 2012, seven were iPhone apps, with the remaining based on
Android. (Source CNET) Latest ComScore analysis also lends some credibility to the
perception that iPhone apps are more of a developers’ play field than Android.
The study shows that iOS generates twice as many apps as Android despite the
latter commanding 48% percent of the smartphone market compared with Apple’s
31.4 percent.
App authors too apparently make more money out of iOS compared
to Android, with iOS reportedly delivering four times the revenue per developer
(in comparison to Android), largely because iPhone users buy apps more readily
than Android. It’s understandable then that developers and owners foresee a slight advantage
in iPhone apps development. After
all, developing apps is a business, and businesses seek markets with maximum
monetization potentials and lower investment costs. End users on the other hand find Android’s versatility and free
nature highly appealing, which is well-reflected in its expanding market share.
For certain demographic groups which are less likely to spend on apps, Android
has always been the best place to be. Having the majority of downloaders is a big draw in itself, and
it is drawing companies like Gameloft port more of their A-grade titles to
Android. But user base isn’t always the final word in apps development.
Android’s much debated hardware and software fragmentation takes much of the
fun away for developers. Developers have to account for multiple screen
resolutions, OS versions, CPU capacities, before finally going ahead and making
a game touchscreen or keyboard-friendly, or both. On the flip side, since Android allows greater access to
different hardware than the iOS, Android
developers get to challenge the
limits a lot more than iPhone developers. Also, Android is known to go easy on
apps approval as compared to the App store, where every App is subject to
scrupulous scanning, often resulting in tardy review processes.
But for the right app, the possibilities of striking gold are huge on both Android and iPhone. Both have massive audiences, and offer great resources for development and marketing. In the end, its more a matter of identifying where your app audience lies, and the commercial viability of the app that ultimately decides if your app will be one amongst hot sellers like Plants Vs Zombies, Pocket God, Mine Craft, Cut the rope, and who knows, even Angry Birds!
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