Android apps make only 24% as much as iOS apps

[pm]

The topic doesn't involve trees, forests or anyone crashing. Cut it out Cheezy and senseamp and please get back to discussing the topic - or if you think the topic isn't worth discussing, then let it go.

Moderator PM

 

[Brian Stirling]

The Apple community tends to spend more than other communities. Not exactly sure why that is, it just is. There's probably a lot of reasons behind this.

Anyway, the benefit is that iOS has a lot of high quality apps. This includes both paid and free apps. From what I've seen for a very long time now, if apps matter to the end user, iOS is the platform to get.

Android has a lot of free apps, but they're not as high quality compared to iOS and the apps I've seen on Android that are paid, are really expensive. I think this higher expense is to offset the volume sales that Android developers don't get. On iOS, developers are able to price their apps lower because the volume of sales is much larger. I could be wrong, but that's my speculation.



Even though the iOS FB app is better, FB recently completely changed the app. Its exactly like the mobile version now, which IMO is a step backwards. I miss the original iOS FB app and it looks like its gone for good.

The iOS user is somewhat older and tends to have more money. I fly a lot and most of the older business guys gave up there Blackberries for iPhones and also have iPads, whereas the younger business types are more likely to have Android phones. My experience may not be sufficient to make a scientific proclamation but this pattern is pretty clear to me.

So, if iPhone users are older and have more money they will be more able to buy stuff including apps. There is also the fact that many of these older iOS users graduated from college before file sharing was common whereas younger types that tend more towards Android were more likely to have been in school when file sharing became popular and have thus developed the habit of expecting things for free.

I wish the Android user base was less inclined to expect things for free but, alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards...


Brian

 

[MrX8503]

The iOS user is somewhat older and tends to have more money. I fly a lot and most of the older business guys gave up there Blackberries for iPhones and also have iPads, whereas the younger business types are more likely to have Android phones. My experience may not be sufficient to make a scientific proclamation but this pattern is pretty clear to me.

So, if iPhone users are older and have more money they will be more able to buy stuff including apps. There is also the fact that many of these older iOS users graduated from college before file sharing was common whereas younger types that tend more towards Android were more likely to have been in school when file sharing became popular and have thus developed the habit of expecting things for free.

I wish the Android user base was less inclined to expect things for free but, alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards...

Brian

That could be the case, but I guess we don't know for sure. There's probably a lot of reasons, from the Apple demographics to how the appstore is laid out to the apps themselves.

 

[Oyeve]

The iOS user is somewhat older and tends to have more money. I fly a lot and most of the older business guys gave up there Blackberries for iPhones and also have iPads, whereas the younger business types are more likely to have Android phones. My experience may not be sufficient to make a scientific proclamation but this pattern is pretty clear to me.

So, if iPhone users are older and have more money they will be more able to buy stuff including apps. There is also the fact that many of these older iOS users graduated from college before file sharing was common whereas younger types that tend more towards Android were more likely to have been in school when file sharing became popular and have thus developed the habit of expecting things for free.

I wish the Android user base was less inclined to expect things for free but, alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards...


Brian

Nah, im 45 and have both and have 200 apps on my android phone and tablet and around 10 apps on my iphone4.

 

[Fire&Blood]

The iOS user is somewhat older and tends to have more money. I fly a lot and most of the older business guys gave up there Blackberries for iPhones and also have iPads, whereas the younger business types are more likely to have Android phones. My experience may not be sufficient to make a scientific proclamation but this pattern is pretty clear to me.

So, if iPhone users are older and have more money they will be more able to buy stuff including apps. There is also the fact that many of these older iOS users graduated from college before file sharing was common whereas younger types that tend more towards Android were more likely to have been in school when file sharing became popular and have thus developed the habit of expecting things for free.

I wish the Android user base was less inclined to expect things for free but, alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards...


Brian

Agree with this. IOS is older and more mature OS than Android, also taking full advantage of only having few devices to accommodate for, making it enticing for devs. The ecosystem with itunes and appstore is the best money maker right now. Also, for a long time, iOS was exclusive to carriers that catered to most affluent customers and to an extent still is.

IOS still pretty much guarantees the best effort/time to income ratio for devs. This survey is definitely incomplete but it does correctly gauge ios as the most profitable platform as of today.

It remains to be seen how far Android will get with it's "sheer numbers" approach. To reach iOS profitability, Android has to cover a lot of ground. It was only this year that Android gained a segment of elite devices of it's own and was finally adopted by the "elite" carriers, pushing those high end devices.

From a dev perspective, hypothetically speaking, it's better to target iOS if it means that every 10th iOS consumer buys an app vs. every 50th consumer on Android. However, if Android continues it's growth rate, selling to every 50th Android consumer will become more profitable than selling to every 10th iOS consumer, if Android's audience continues the pace of it's growth.

 

[Zaap]

I just went on the Market to BUY an app called Grid Live Wallpaper

I just went to the App Store to BUY a live wallpaper...


You know the punchline.

You spent money on something on Android that you couldn't spend money on in iOS. Like widgets as well. Just a little ironic for this topic.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Really though, other than games, what kind of popular apps use in-app purchases? I am stumped. Right now I have about 96 apps on my phone, and not a single one of them has in-app purchases (which is where these figures are coming from).

I actually have quite a few apps on my phone that use IAP...

Photoshop Express has an add-on pack for extra effects.
Adobe Ideas has an add-on purchase for layer support.
Speak It! has a bunch of voices that add on more than the base ones, and I actually find some of the other ones good listening practice.
JotNot Scanner has an IAP that disables ads permanently.
TextFree likewise has an IAP that disables ads for a while.
SoundHound has an IAP that unlocks unlimited usage.

There are probably a few more, but I can't be bothered to go dig them all up individually now, but I think there is quite a sizable number of them on my phone now.

 

[QueBert]

I just went to the App Store to BUY a live wallpaper...


You know the punchline.

You spent money on something on Android that you couldn't spend money on in iOS. Like widgets as well. Just a little ironic for this topic.

But I didn't buy it because I couldn't find it, by the time I did 4 days has passed and I was over it. Now if it had been an iOS app I would have been able to easily find it and would have bought it. So nope, not ironic at all, this is exactly one of the reasons the app store does better. The Market's great I guess if you want to randomly browse and hope to find something, or don't care much and will download any app that comes up. The ironic thing's when I 1st bought the app (before I got a refund) I just happened to accidentally stumbled upon it. But when I read it had been updated and worked right, I couldn't find it when I actually went looking for it.

 

[Zaap]

But I didn't buy it because I couldn't find it

You missed the actual point, hence the irony.

There are types of applications for sale in the Android Market that aren't in the AppStore- like widgets, actual Live Wallpapers, rooting/filesystem/OS modification tools, alternate launchers and launcher themes, alternate phone dialers/SMS/ etc.

So clearly there are different ways that Android developers make money that are completely separate markets from anything on iOS. There may be the flip side of this with entire app categories that iOS has that Android doesn't, but I don't know of any off hand.

I find it easy to find what I want in the Market. It's basically as simple as if you're looking for a type of app, you can search by type and expect relevant results. (This is far more common than me looking for a specific app by name.) And I don't generally have too much problem finding things by name if I know it. The market also has other alternate tools that orbit around it like AppBrain that let's you browse the apps on other people's phones (dunno if iOS has anything like it, but it's an awesome feature). There's also Best Apps Market, and Tablet Market.

Both iOS and Android Market need the ability to view apps by rating/date etc. in search results. In both, too much crap comes to the top of common searches, when generally all I want is the best of whatever type of thing I'm looking for. But finding the good apps of whatever type is no harder in Android than iOS.

 

[Brian Stirling]

When I had an Android phone (HTC EVO 4G) I bought about 8-10 apps for it and had maybe another 20 that were free. Considering that the typical app is one or two dollars I find it hard to see how it is so hard for some to fork over half a cup of coffee for an app they are more than likely to get more use out of then that cup of coffee! I really think the mindset brought about by "free music" that came by way of file sharing has infected a generation and they believe that if it can be had for free then it should be free no matter if it's free because someone stole it.

As Deeko said, this whole topic is rife with flame bait and has been covered many times before. I am in the minority when I say this is one of the most significant problems with Android and even if Google is OK with the dearth of good paid apps sooner or later it will see the makers looking for other options besides Android.


Brian

 

[Blueychan]

Nothing new, I know some mobile devs who would develop for iOS first and will only port the same app to Android if they have time. Thats the general mentality for most mobile devs for a while now.

Aside, Java is by far the most annoying programming language out of the 3.

 

[dainthomas]

When I had an Android phone (HTC EVO 4G) I bought about 8-10 apps for it and had maybe another 20 that were free. Considering that the typical app is one or two dollars I find it hard to see how it is so hard for some to fork over half a cup of coffee for an app they are more than likely to get more use out of then that cup of coffee! I really think the mindset brought about by "free music" that came by way of file sharing has infected a generation and they believe that if it can be had for free then it should be free no matter if it's free because someone stole it.

As Deeko said, this whole topic is rife with flame bait and has been covered many times before. I am in the minority when I say this is one of the most significant problems with Android and even if Google is OK with the dearth of good paid apps sooner or later it will see the makers looking for other options besides Android.


Brian

It's funny to hear Apple users complain about people not spending ENOUGH money.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Nothing new, I know some mobile devs who would develop for iOS first and will only port the same app to Android if they have time. Thats the general mentality for most mobile devs for a while now.

Aside, Java is by far the most annoying programming language out of the 3.

In all honesty, as a developer, I think Java and C++ are the most familiar ones, and Obj-C is sufficiently different from the other two that the same mindset doesn't really apply. To put it mildly, the learning curve going from C++/Java to Obj-C was steep.

But the Android SDK is generally harder to set up than the iOS SDK, which is basically spoon-fed to the developer and requires very few clicks to get everything in place. Also Apple's developer community is generally more responsive... I can ask something and have an Apple engineer or representative personally phone me the next day to troubleshoot the problem.

 

[mosco]

Nothing new, I know some mobile devs who would develop for iOS first and will only port the same app to Android if they have time. Thats the general mentality for most mobile devs for a while now.

Aside, Java is by far the most annoying programming language out of the 3.

I agree with runawayprisoner. I work in my companies mobile team with 10 other people. We only had one person that had previous objective-c experience when we started. I had been doing enterprise java stuff before that.

Objective-C has a much higher learning curve. And I would say most young developers coming out of college don't have a lot of experience with anything like it either.

We build integration libraries and reference applications, and usually the first thing our customer's want to talk about is iOS/iPad support(and maybe android if their budget supports it).

 

[MrX8503]

In all honesty, as a developer, I think Java and C++ are the most familiar ones, and Obj-C is sufficiently different from the other two that the same mindset doesn't really apply. To put it mildly, the learning curve going from C++/Java to Obj-C was steep.

But the Android SDK is generally harder to set up than the iOS SDK, which is basically spoon-fed to the developer and requires very few clicks to get everything in place. Also Apple's developer community is generally more responsive... I can ask something and have an Apple engineer or representative personally phone me the next day to troubleshoot the problem.

From what I've been hearing/reading, developer support on the iOS side is much better. The iOS SDK documentation is quite extensive as well. This may contribute to iOS apps being higher quality.

 

[AstroManLuca]

When I had an Android phone (HTC EVO 4G) I bought about 8-10 apps for it and had maybe another 20 that were free. Considering that the typical app is one or two dollars I find it hard to see how it is so hard for some to fork over half a cup of coffee for an app they are more than likely to get more use out of then that cup of coffee! I really think the mindset brought about by "free music" that came by way of file sharing has infected a generation and they believe that if it can be had for free then it should be free no matter if it's free because someone stole it.

As Deeko said, this whole topic is rife with flame bait and has been covered many times before. I am in the minority when I say this is one of the most significant problems with Android and even if Google is OK with the dearth of good paid apps sooner or later it will see the makers looking for other options besides Android.


Brian

There's a whole cause-effect relationship here that I think both sides are missing.

Android people say, hey, everything on iOS is expensive! There are a lot more free Android apps! Fuck the man!

iOS guys are saying those damn kids these days with their sense of entitlement want everything for free, and how dare they get free apps that the developers offer up for free. They're probably all dirty pirates.

The fact is, there are a lot of good free apps on Android. They might not be as good as paid apps on iOS. But they are "good enough" for most Android users. This has set the tone for the entire Android app ecosystem. Why buy an app when there's another app out there that is free and does the same thing? Sure, $1 isn't much to spend, but it's way more than $0, and if you buy every app you use, it adds up.

Meanwhile, iOS set its tone with paid apps, with its users expecting to pay money for apps, and free apps are often watered-down demos of the full ones. iOS users are more accepting of paid apps because they've been conditioned to believe that a decent app is worth $1-3, just as Android users have been conditioned to believe that they can get 90% of the apps they need for free and only occasionally spend $1 for certain ones.

I still occasionally buy apps but there are so many free apps available I usually figure I'll save my money and spend it on a cup of coffee instead. It's not that I'm entitled, they're just different ecosystems. I can fulfill my app needs without buying many apps.

Seems most users only really notice the negatives. An iOS user transitioning to Android will complain of poor quality apps but never accentuates the positive (hey, at least most of them are free!), and an Android user going to iOS will just say that everything is expensive and won't notice that many iOS apps are better quality.

 

[Oyeve]

Seems most users only really notice the negatives. An iOS user transitioning to Android will complain of poor quality apps but never accentuates the positive (hey, at least most of them are free!), and an Android user going to iOS will just say that everything is expensive and won't notice that many iOS apps are better quality.

True. Its like buying a bad movie. If you paid 20 bucks you are more inclined to say "it wasnt THAT bad" but if someone gave you the movie you would be more inclined to say "That movie sucked!"

 

[Red Storm]

True. Its like buying a bad movie. If you paid 20 bucks you are more inclined to say "it wasnt THAT bad" but if someone gave you the movie you would be more inclined to say "That movie sucked!"

I think you have that backwards. If the movie sucks I think "Well at least it didn't cost me money" but if I had paid for it I would be disappointed in both the movie and the fact that it cost me money.

 

[Oyeve]

I think you have that backwards. If the movie sucks I think "Well at least it didn't cost me money" but if I had paid for it I would be disappointed in both the movie and the fact that it cost me money.

Nope, I dont have it backwards. Think about it in Android mentality and IOS mentality.

 

[Brian Stirling]

It's funny to hear Apple users complain about people not spending ENOUGH money.

I'm not an Apple user by choice -- my Evo was stolen a couple months back and my company changed there cell phone plan and issued iP4's (not iP4S's) to everyone. But it is funny to see the fanboys come out of the woodwork whenever someone dislikes anything about there favorite 'system'. I get the same fanboy nonsense from the Apple trolls whenever I say anything negative about any of Jobs wonders (rounded corners anyone).

I've been looking at the Galaxy Note for some time and was just about to buy one but the large number of problems with the display has forced me to wait until the problem is fixed. The major problem I have with the iPhone, beyond Apples strong arm tactics, is that the display is just too damn small for my 55 year old eyes. I think the Note is a tab too large and I think a screen of 5.0 inches with smaller bezel could have cut 0.25 inch off the width and 0.75 inch off the length -- that size would be perfect, for me at least...

Now if we could only come up with a single thread that flamed both Apple and Android at the same time ... something involving rounded corners and fragmentation I think...


Brian

 

[pm]

Now if we could only come up with a single thread that flamed both Apple and Android at the same time ... something involving rounded corners and fragmentation I think...

I'm not sure that I like this idea.

Moderator PM

 

[alfa147x]

Options:
Android: Not as many apps. Free ones are mediocre. Paid ones are worthy
iOS: Many Apps, Free ones are better quality when compared to android. Paid ones are worthy.


Just summed up this thread.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Options:
Android: Not as many apps. Free ones are mediocre. Paid ones are worthy
iOS: Many Apps, Free ones are better quality when compared to android. Paid ones are worthy.


Just summed up this thread.

No you didn't. Android users contend that there are more worthwhile free apps on Android, whereas on iOS you are more likely to have to pay to get worthwhile apps.

I personally don't know if that's the case since I've only used iOS devices a few times, but it sure seemed hard to find decent free apps the few times I did use one. Going by the numbers, though, it seems to be true. Android users don't buy apps because there are enough free ones, iOS users do buy apps because there aren't as many worthwhile free ones.

 

[alfa147x]

No you didn't. Android users contend that there are more worthwhile free apps on Android, whereas on iOS you are more likely to have to pay to get worthwhile apps.

I personally don't know if that's the case since I've only used iOS devices a few times, but it sure seemed hard to find decent free apps the few times I did use one. Going by the numbers, though, it seems to be true. Android users don't buy apps because there are enough free ones, iOS users do buy apps because there aren't as many worthwhile free ones.

Honestly most people here talk out of their ass. They haven't either used a specific platform or they've used it for a few minutes. Take that into consideration with the internet.

That said. I lead a team of mobile app developers. We develop for both iOS and Android. We get new phones all the time. Though I still have the thunderbolt (ugh what a PoS)

Earlier this year my personal phone was an Android device. Currently my personal phone is an iPhone 4s. So I know my way around both platforms quite well.

Android has quite a few apps on it's App Store. iOS just has more. Plain and simple. Apple gives out a plethora of resources when it comes to building for their devices. Why is it better? Because it's easier. When you're building a SDK is it easier to build for 5 devices or 100+?

Android free apps are lacking in quality. Just something to accept. It's obvious. One of the biggest reasons? Inconsistant use of UI object. Another reason: Developers are pushed to make deadlines. One of the biggest things i've seen cut is checking for bugs. This is one of the reasons we have some many Android phones/ tablet or two. It's not easy to make sure the App is consistant across all android devices. A lot of smaller dev teams look over this. Just due to time constraint.

Most of my paid apps are worthy of their cost. I've never needed to ask for my money back. I do however do some research before dropping more than 99c on an app. Similar experience for both iOS and Android.

My guess as to why more iOS users buy more apps?
1) More games. Most high end mobile games cost some $$$
2) More options on how to pay. iTunes gift card. Credit card. Paypal
3) Longer in the market. Apple's been selling Apps a bit longer than Google.
4) A lot of apps come out for iOS first.

 

[mosco]

Honestly most people here talk out of their ass. They haven't either used a specific platform or they've used it for a few minutes. Take that into consideration with the internet.

That said. I lead a team of mobile app developers. We develop for both iOS and Android. We get new phones all the time. Though I still have the thunderbolt (ugh what a PoS)

Earlier this year my personal phone was an Android device. Currently my personal phone is an iPhone 4s. So I know my way around both platforms quite well.

Android has quite a few apps on it's App Store. iOS just has more. Plain and simple. Apple gives out a plethora of resources when it comes to building for their devices. Why is it better? Because it's easier. When you're building a SDK is it easier to build for 5 devices or 100+?

Android free apps are lacking in quality. Just something to accept. It's obvious. One of the biggest reasons? Inconsistant use of UI object. Another reason: Developers are pushed to make deadlines. One of the biggest things i've seen cut is checking for bugs. This is one of the reasons we have some many Android phones/ tablet or two. It's not easy to make sure the App is consistant across all android devices. A lot of smaller dev teams look over this. Just due to time constraint.

Most of my paid apps are worthy of their cost. I've never needed to ask for my money back. I do however do some research before dropping more than 99c on an app. Similar experience for both iOS and Android.

My guess as to why more iOS users buy more apps?
1) More games. Most high end mobile games cost some $$$
2) More options on how to pay. iTunes gift card. Credit card. Paypal
3) Longer in the market. Apple's been selling Apps a bit longer than Google.
4) A lot of apps come out for iOS first.

Well said.