Android Passing iOS In Apps!

[WenWM]

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The growth of Android is certainly not something to be taken lightly, with new phones being pushed out ever few weeks, iOSs' lead in app stock is expected to be shattered in time for you to send your kids back to school. The latest report comes from Distimo, who said, while iOS is still growing, the market is seeing a huge slow down in new application development, while Android is accelerating. Now we all know it’s not the amount of apps you have, it’s the quality of the apps. Android has some pretty great applications, just about one for everything, so it’s nice to know that even when we hold our phones wrong… We still do something right when it comes to apps.

Via: Android To Surpass Apple’s App Store In Size By August 2011: Report (Exclusive)

 

[Chizzele]

All of us at DF knew it was just a matter of time..

 

[droid doctor]

I love android os because any app can be on the market, but with ios you actually have to be a trusted developer and your app has to be tested to get on the app store.

 

[Big Ry]

So this is just a projection? Hopefully it pans out. I heard dev support was lacking because of fragmentation. I never know what to believe on these forums lol. If were truly near 300k, that's awesome!

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[kodiak799]

Your little mom & pop developers are hurt by fragmentation (not that some of the best apps don't come from a college kid fooling around). Otherwise I think it's beating a dead horse - if you have a good app the market is there to make good money.

Also, in theory, Gingerbread/Honeycomb are making it a lot easier to develop, with the ability to do an app pretty much entirely in C++. Porting is also simple an easier. In some regards, that seems like a plus for Android as pretty much every programmer learns C++ but not everyone learns OSX (although maybe that's a core college class now, don't know).

 

[Beardface]

We may pass iOS in apps in the Market, but the quality and ongoing development will always be in the iOS market. I flat out had to delete HomeRun Battle from my phone after loving it for close to a year because they came out with an update for the iOS that gives them a far superior and robust set of boosts to choose from and we're stuck with the original. We get crushed every time and it ruins the fun.

And lets not even mention the quality of games and apps between iOS and Android. Yes, we have some nice, clean looking apps out there, but for the most part they all look like simple hackjobs that appear to have been made for MS Dos back in the day. A vast majority of the iOS apps out there are extremely clean and look like they could be run off an upgraded version of the SNES or better. There is no comparison. And when a dev tries to port a successful app from iOS to Android, for the most part (Angry Birds being the lone exception, in my opinion) they are completely rushed and buggy as hell. Words With Friends is one of the worst Apps I've ever downloaded on the Android Market, but its insanely popular on iOS. Just frustrating.

 

[johnomaz]

We may pass iOS in apps in the Market, but the quality and ongoing development will always be in the iOS market. I flat out had to delete HomeRun Battle from my phone after loving it for close to a year because they came out with an update for the iOS that gives them a far superior and robust set of boosts to choose from and we're stuck with the original. We get crushed every time and it ruins the fun.

And lets not even mention the quality of games and apps between iOS and Android. Yes, we have some nice, clean looking apps out there, but for the most part they all look like simple hackjobs that appear to have been made for MS Dos back in the day. A vast majority of the iOS apps out there are extremely clean and look like they could be run off an upgraded version of the SNES or better. There is no comparison. And when a dev tries to port a successful app from iOS to Android, for the most part (Angry Birds being the lone exception, in my opinion) they are completely rushed and buggy as hell. Words With Friends is one of the worst Apps I've ever downloaded on the Android Market, but its insanely popular on iOS. Just frustrating.

I have to agree. I am close to buying an iPod Touch so I can get the games from the iOS market. Yes, there are some fantastic games on Android, but they all started on iOS and many stayed there. Only a few came our way and the games aren't even the same. Updates tend to be later on Android than on iOS. I think one of the biggest downsides too is that there are so many Android devices. An app may work fine on most, but there are a few it doesn't work on. It has to be frustrating.

I think the increase could be from the Amazon App Store. With so much more visibility, I can see it generating a lot of revenue for devs and more poeple going to it.

 

[CD95YJ]

I would have to agree, ios is still ahead in terms of quality. I just downloaded order & chaos on my itouch, graphically its far superior to android. Heck its not even available for android. And lets not mention Netflix...

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[czerdrill]

We may pass iOS in apps in the Market, but the quality and ongoing development will always be in the iOS market. I flat out had to delete HomeRun Battle from my phone after loving it for close to a year because they came out with an update for the iOS that gives them a far superior and robust set of boosts to choose from and we're stuck with the original. We get crushed every time and it ruins the fun.

And lets not even mention the quality of games and apps between iOS and Android. Yes, we have some nice, clean looking apps out there, but for the most part they all look like simple hackjobs that appear to have been made for MS Dos back in the day. A vast majority of the iOS apps out there are extremely clean and look like they could be run off an upgraded version of the SNES or better. There is no comparison. And when a dev tries to port a successful app from iOS to Android, for the most part (Angry Birds being the lone exception, in my opinion) they are completely rushed and buggy as hell. Words With Friends is one of the worst Apps I've ever downloaded on the Android Market, but its insanely popular on iOS. Just frustrating.

Agreed. I'll never understand the point of comparing numbers to numbers with the apps. Of course android will have more apps then ios eventually because anyone and their mother can put an app on the android market.

Quality and revenue potential lies with ios and that's not changing anytime soon.

the only people who think fragmentation isn't an issue, are of course, non-programmers...lol.

 

[kodiak799]

the only people who think fragmentation isn't an issue, are of course, non-programmers...lol.

It's a boogeyman argument...How many versions of Windows are people running out there? How many different PC's and hardware configurations are there? Do we ever hear about fragmentation on the PC? No, because the market is so large it's a non-issue. Does it make life more difficult for developers? Yep. Can they still make money and will they develop for Android? Yep.

PC Linux, on the other hand....much smaller installed base and many different flavors. Fragmentation essentially did keep it from getting a foothold.

You simply cannot ignore installed base when talking about fragmentation. I could make an argument that Android is less fragmented now, comparatively speaking, with an installed base of 100M than it was two years ago with 1M users.

 

[czerdrill]

the only people who think fragmentation isn't an issue, are of course, non-programmers...lol.

It's a boogeyman argument...How many versions of Windows are people running out there? How many different PC's and hardware configurations are there? Do we ever hear about fragmentation on the PC? No, because the market is so large it's a non-issue. Does it make life more difficult for developers? Yep. Can they still make money and will they develop for Android? Yep.

PC Linux, on the other hand....much smaller installed base and many different flavors. Fragmentation essentially did keep it from getting a foothold.

You simply cannot ignore installed base when talking about fragmentation. I could make an argument that Android is less fragmented now, comparatively speaking, with an installed base of 100M than it was two years ago with 1M users.

I don't know, i think its incredibly insulting to call it a "boogeyman argument". Again, to non-programmers its easy to dismiss it as boogeyman and irrelevant because all you have to do is press install or update but to those who develop apps its quite a different story.

i'm not suggesting that fragmentation is going to destroy android and prevent any chance of a dev being successful or that devs are going to all form a union and migrate to ios, but believe me it's not a boogeyman argument.

how many apps have you developed, are in the process of developing or have published in the android market? i'm just trying to figure out where you're getting the conviction that it's a boogeyman argument from?

no one is ignoring installed base. however from a developer perspective, i fail to see how having more hardware configurations and more OS versions out there somehow solves the problem of fragmentation or is even relevant. installed base is high not because some standard has been reached, but because more OEMs are creating more phones and devices which all run different OS versions/hardware configs and these devices are being offered for relatively cheap prices with different hardware configurations. The popularity of android doesn't somehow negate fragmentation.

I've developed for android and have worked with a team of devs for ios and believe me ios is far easier to develop for and support then android. and that's purely because of fragmentation, both hardware and software. taking installed base into consideration doesnt somehow make developing for android easier, and not sure why you think it would.

Developers have to develop and bug-fix across multiple OS versions, decide how they want to distribute their app across multiple markets, and tweak their app to work across multiple hardware configurations. not to mention differences between tablets and smartphones, and programming languages.

theres not going to be anytime soon where an android dev can make one version of his app and have it work across all or even the majority of devices. installed base has nothing to do with that. couple that with the time spent bug-fixing and providing support and your ROI is virtually nil.

Saying "only mom and pop developers are hurt by fragmentation" is pretty much saying the overwhelming majority of devs are hurt isn't it? I mean it's not like major corporations are clamoring to make a profit on the android market(s) right? sure there are huge well known devs/companies that have made money on the android market, but that's because they have the money to make money.

the truth is "mom and pop developers" are probably 90+% of the developers for android. it's not like every dev is part of some company that has commissioned them to create an android app. in fact, some (if not all) of the best android apps come from independent developers.

Like I said, the people who say it's no big deal are the ones who are not creating the apps. While it may not be a deal breaker, you will be hard pressed to find any developer who says it's a "boogeyman" argument, and like i said I'm sure they would take offense to it being downplayed like that given the work that they do. It's a boogeyman for the person who just hits the update button, i'm sure, though.

 

[kodiak799]

i'm just trying to figure out where you're getting the conviction that it's a boogeyman argument from?

Because the "harm" it's doing is completely overblown, hence "boogeyman scare tactic". I acknowledge it makes life more difficult for developers, but if you can make $1000 and 20% margin on IOS vs. $2000 on 10% margin on Android it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is a non-material issue. Fragmentation is not going to stop you from developing as long as you can make good money on Android, and that's my point.

Fair enough, the break-even is higher and that may prevent small/start-up developers with very limited resources from going to Android, especially if they are unsure of their market potential. But after proof of concept on IOS, fragmentation will not stop them from increasing their profits by replicating on Android.

It's just comical to me to watch these subtle jabs at Android evolve as time proves them misguided at best, if not completely off-target to begin with. The "little boy that cried fragmentation" has been pounding the table for the better part of a year, and yet the Android app store and installed base continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

 

[kodiak799]

[ you will be hard pressed to find any developer who says it's a "boogeyman" argument, and like i said I'm sure they would take offense to it being downplayed like that given the work that they do. It's a boogeyman for the person who just hits the update button, i'm sure, though.

Having to work harder to make more money. What a concept!

Not saying that Google doesn't have a responsibility to do what it can to increase that ROI, but I'd bet money that ROI has been increasing and it rings very hollow to whine about fragmentation while the bottom line is continuing to increase.

Huge difference between having to work harder and actually seeing profits decline. Fragmentation is making them work harder, but I don't see where they are being materially harmed. It's a "woe is me, my back hurts from having to bend over to pick-up all this money falling out of my pocket" argument.

Sure, if you make bad or useless apps that don't sell, it's an issue. Supply/Demand and Darwin in action.

 

[czerdrill]

i'm just trying to figure out where you're getting the conviction that it's a boogeyman argument from?

Because the "harm" it's doing is completely overblown, hence "boogeyman scare tactic". I acknowledge it makes life more difficult for developers, but if you can make $1000 and 20% margin on IOS vs. $2000 on 10% margin on Android it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is a non-material issue. Fragmentation is not going to stop you from developing as long as you can make good money on Android, and that's my point.

Fair enough, the break-even is higher and that may prevent small/start-up developers with very limited resources from going to Android, especially if they are unsure of their market potential. But after proof of concept on IOS, fragmentation will not stop them from increasing their profits by replicating on Android.

It's just comical to me to watch these subtle jabs at Android evolve as time proves them misguided at best, if not completely off-target to begin with. The "little boy that cried fragmentation" has been pounding the table for the better part of a year, and yet the Android app store and installed base continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

again, i'm trying to figure out where you're getting that the "harm" it's doing is overblown.

whos making good money on android? that's what I'm asking. studies have clearly shown that the money to be made is with ios, and not android. you're saying mom and pop developers are hurt by fragmentation, and then you're also saying there's money to be made on android. i can say stuff too without proof...

and well yeah...fragmentation is not going to stop them from increasing their profits if they're already successful with ios. that too, doesn't somehow negate fragmentation issues for the dev who isn't developing for ios does it? do all android devs simultaneously develop for ios? or are all android devs people who found incredible success with ios and are now looking to increase profits with android? i'm asking because you seem to be suggesting that and it would be nice if you provided some proof of that. if that's not what you're suggesting then can you provide proof that android devs are making good money on the android market without an ios counterpart?

dev after dev after dev has stated that fragmentation is an issue for them. as recently as this month they've shown that devs are still concerned about fragmentation and developer interest is waning. (again, that's not a doomsday prophecy where 99% of devs are suddenly giving up on android). devs of apps that have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times have stated that (the screebl dev in particular is one of them who has said this). what i find comical is non-devs saying its a boogeyman argument and that installed base somehow negated fragmentation.

you argument is essentially "android sells, so fragmentation is not a problem". that seems to me a ridiculously simplified metric. the fact that android sells doesn't somehow imply that fragmentation doesn't exist, and i'm confused why you would make a 1:1 correlation between the two. there are many reasons android sells, and why it's installed base grows every quarter. the lack of fragmentation is not necessarily one of those reasons.

i appreciate your feedback, but it just appears you're saying "it doesn't exist, because it doesn't" and not really providing anything else other then saying it's popular (installed base). Would saying "the dangers of smoking is a scare tactic because millions of americans smoke" be a valid extrapolation? would i be able to prove to you that the installed base of smokers somehow negates its dangers? in the same way, can you provide some proof that devs believe installed base somehow makes their job easier? i can provide proof in the form of studies that show that devs are still concerned about fragmentation and not a small percentage of devs either. installed base is not a relevant stat when it comes to fragmentation from a developer perspective.

like i said show me the developer that says android fragmentation is a complete non-issue and then i'll be inclined to believe you...there is no "make this work for all devices" button in the SDK, believe it or not...

 

[czerdrill]

[ you will be hard pressed to find any developer who says it's a "boogeyman" argument, and like i said I'm sure they would take offense to it being downplayed like that given the work that they do. It's a boogeyman for the person who just hits the update button, i'm sure, though.

Having to work harder to make more money. What a concept!

Not saying that Google doesn't have a responsibility to do what it can to increase that ROI, but I'd bet money that ROI has been increasing and it rings very hollow to whine about fragmentation while the bottom line is continuing to increase.

Huge difference between having to work harder and actually seeing profits decline. Fragmentation is making them work harder, but I don't see where they are being materially harmed. It's a "woe is me, my back hurts from having to bend over to pick-up all this money falling out of my pocket" argument.

Sure, if you make bad or useless apps that don't sell, it's an issue. Supply/Demand and Darwin in action.

So if you could make more money by working less, you'd choose the harder route to somehow prove that you're a hard worker or something? I mean, I guess you can do that, seems kinda foolish and unnecessary to me though. Devs are not developing apps to create some kind of rapport with their users and show them what hard workers they are. they're there to get in, make money and make more money.

i'm not saying devs can't make money on android, but, and you can't deny this, it is far easier and much more likely that devs will make money with ios. and since you can't deny that, i would like your reason why you think that's the case if it's not fragmentation?