It's hard out there for an Android developer

RockdaMan · 05-27-2011, 12:29 PM

Just a few stats for discussion, and no mention of that company that inspires so much rage around here.

Developers look at these numbers, and they have a direct bearing on the richness of the ecosystem.

Quote:

there are nearly three times as many paid apps on ***'s App Store (211,369, by Distimo's count) as on Google's (71,801).

Quote:

for a variety of reasons, Android generates far fewer runaway hits. The most successful app in the Android Market, with more than 50 million downloads, is a Google freebie: Google Maps. Nothing else comes close.

Quote:

In the Google Android Market however, only two paid applications have exceeded more than 500,000 downloads (but under 1 million) worldwide to date

Quote:

There are five games in Google Android Market with over 250,000 downloads worldwide. In the *** App Store for *** ten games generated more than 250,000 downloads in the United States alone in two months.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05/...on-apples-ios/

boswd · 05-27-2011, 01:26 PM

oh blah blah blah

if you offer it for free people then what do they expect

if they want to make more money, then charege .99 for it. .99 for an app is basically free in almost anyone's mind,

so them complaining is their own fault.

I would pay .99 for my bank app, for angry birds, for sound hound , ESPN. etc. but they are free, sooooo what should we do, "hey dev, I want to pay you for it even though YOU are offering it for free."

but these articles are basically just showing their mainstream media apple bias anyway.

an oh the whole Google Maps blurb is laughable too, it frames it as it's only because it's a "Freebie" but actually Google Maps is preinstalled and baked into the OS on almost all Android phones and is preinstalled on all High End Android phones never mind it's above and beyond the best map, navigation and search application available. Apple has nothing that even comes close to it.

=X= · 05-27-2011, 01:31 PM

This is brilliant Apple marketing! They have filtered the study data enough to exclude the Android apps that are really making the most money while making it look like Android apps are struggling.

Right now the Android apps that are really making money use a different model than that of the traditional Apple model that is apps that are free, but have in app billing or are subsided by AdMoble advertisements.

The apps that are not using this model do have a hard time making money because there are so many good free apps.

=X=

covfam · 05-27-2011, 01:31 PM

Im sure it will get better with time currently there are a ton of freebie apps some of quality some of junk. i think it will need more time for developers to start making full paid apps there. it will definatly help once the phone os & tablet os merge into a single os in the near future like google says they will do.

The biggest problem with android market isnt the apps, its the craptastic app filtering system it uses... btw apple needs a better filter for the app store thier store bites as well.

There are 3rd party markets that are much nicer for example amazon may not have the numbers of apps yet but they have a much nicer app store that lets you look specificly into what type of apps you want.
Both the android market and apple app store are far to generalized and really make it hard to find what you want for example for example on amazon in games there are 16 sections for games alone but in android market there is only 6 if you want a role playing game or a strategy game in android market you have to search through 30,000 arcade/action games to find any. the apple store is just as bad both companies need to take a clue from amazon and other places like sime ebook retailers.

boswd · 05-27-2011, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

This is brilliant Apple marketing! They have filtered the study data enough to exclude the Android apps that are really making the most money while making it look like Android apps are struggling.

Right now the Android apps that are really making money use a different model than that of the traditional Apple model that is apps that are free, but have in app billing or are subsided by AdMoble advertisements.

The apps that are not using this model do have a hard time making money because there are so many good free apps.

=X=

bingo

If people do not think there isn't an apple biased mainstream media and it's love of truth gymanastic then I have a vacation time share in the Everglades I will sell you.

=X= · 05-27-2011, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boswd

if they want to make more money, then charege .99 for it. .99 for an app is basically free in almost anyone's mind,

Not really you would be surprised how different the mind treats "free" and even the cost of a "penny". There have been numerous studies on this topic.

That is probably why Amazon gives away an app a day, to keep us coming back. Even if it was a penny app I don't think that many people would visit their site.

BTW I agree $.99 is nothing for a quality app, ezPDF is a great example, but still free is free
=X=

boswd · 05-27-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

Not really you would be surprised how different the mind treats "free" and even the cost of a "penny". There have been numerous studies on this topic.

That is probably why Amazon gives away an app a day, to keep us coming back. Even if it was a penny app I don't think that many people would visit their site.

=X=

I know what you are saying and of course I wouldn't be all App happy as you are when they are free but there are "fun" apps and there are "must have" apps

My bank
my transit line
some Sports
LookOut mobile
Angry birds

heck I'd even pay .99 for my nook app
and many others

are must have and would have no problems paying for them but they are offered for free .

RainingLemur · 05-27-2011, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boswd

I have a vacation time share in the Everglades I will sell you.

Tell me more about this timeshare... I may be willing to offer my bridge as a trade...

RockdaMan · 05-27-2011, 11:16 PM

The guys behind The Heist have made an insane amount of money for their labor in the App Store this week. Ditto the guy behind Tiny Wings (and the Android Market facilitates the theft of his ideas: "in this case the “open” nature of Google’s Android Market and lack of any review process means things slip through the cracks.")

Where are the sales and income numbers like that for Android developers?

AnemicOak · 05-27-2011, 11:36 PM

There is also a reader app that links to pirated books on the Android Market which is kind of bothersome. Is there any way of reporting such apps?

=X= · 05-28-2011, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

There is also a reader app that links to pirated books on the Android Market which is kind of bothersome. Is there any way of reporting such apps?

I know there is a way to report malware, if you uninstall a piece of software you can select the reason for uninstalling is malware. if you do so another prompt is displayed asking for details.

RockdaMan · 05-28-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

if you uninstall a piece of software you can select the reason for uninstalling is malware.

Not sure this ever happens in the other ecosystem....anyway, is it the best way for someone to get the attention of Google and let them know that there is a problem?

A rating among millions is a horrible way for a developer to have to complain about the theft of his work.

Marseille · 05-30-2011, 12:26 AM

Not all app stores are in the same cycle of growth at any given moment. Some app stores are still in their growth phase, and comparing them to the more mature apple app store is like comparing exploding Asian economies to western economies. Oranges and Apples. So to speak.

Sales aren't the only way to generate revenue in the android market as =X= points out. Ads are a growing part of the revenue equation. Free apps with ads potentially convert a percentage of would-be thieves into revenue generators. Arguably an iron fist isn't the best way to deal with piracy. I've got a few ad-supported apps, and they're not so bad. There are ads on my TV, ads in my newspaper, ads on the radio, why not ads on my crossword puzzles?

Different developers will find opportunities on different platforms. No one should assume it's easy to be a dev on iOS just because a few have made it big. Nor is Android the first platform to have some growing pains.

Dopedangel · 05-30-2011, 12:35 AM

Android app eco system is still growing I think once google is able to get carrier billing in other countries app sales should improve. Apple users were used to buying songs and other media from apple so they have easily translated to buying apps.

05-27-2011, 01:26 PM	#2
boswd Banned Posts: 2,391 Karma: 1001781 Join Date: May 2010 Device: The Nook, Nook color and Droid X	oh blah blah blah if you offer it for free people then what do they expect if they want to make more money, then charege .99 for it. .99 for an app is basically free in almost anyone's mind, so them complaining is their own fault. I would pay .99 for my bank app, for angry birds, for sound hound , ESPN. etc. but they are free, sooooo what should we do, "hey dev, I want to pay you for it even though YOU are offering it for free." but these articles are basically just showing their mainstream media apple bias anyway. an oh the whole Google Maps blurb is laughable too, it frames it as it's only because it's a "Freebie" but actually Google Maps is preinstalled and baked into the OS on almost all Android phones and is preinstalled on all High End Android phones never mind it's above and beyond the best map, navigation and search application available. Apple has nothing that even comes close to it. Last edited by boswd; 05-27-2011 at 01:31 PM.

05-27-2011, 01:31 PM	#3
=X= Wizard Posts: 3,671 Karma: 12205348 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Galaxy S, Nook w/CM7	This is brilliant Apple marketing! They have filtered the study data enough to exclude the Android apps that are really making the most money while making it look like Android apps are struggling. Right now the Android apps that are really making money use a different model than that of the traditional Apple model that is apps that are free, but have in app billing or are subsided by AdMoble advertisements. The apps that are not using this model do have a hard time making money because there are so many good free apps. =X= Last edited by =X=; 05-27-2011 at 01:33 PM.

05-27-2011, 11:16 PM	#9
RockdaMan Banned Posts: 1,644 Karma: 213512 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: On the other side of over there Device: Pandigital Novel, Kindle G1 (broken), iPod Touch	The guys behind The Heist have made an insane amount of money for their labor in the App Store this week. Ditto the guy behind Tiny Wings (and the Android Market facilitates the theft of his ideas: "in this case the “open” nature of Google’s Android Market and lack of any review process means things slip through the cracks.") Where are the sales and income numbers like that for Android developers? Last edited by RockdaMan; 05-28-2011 at 12:12 AM.

05-30-2011, 12:26 AM	#13
Marseille Guru Posts: 687 Karma: 5700000 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: kindle	Not all app stores are in the same cycle of growth at any given moment. Some app stores are still in their growth phase, and comparing them to the more mature apple app store is like comparing exploding Asian economies to western economies. Oranges and Apples. So to speak. Sales aren't the only way to generate revenue in the android market as =X= points out. Ads are a growing part of the revenue equation. Free apps with ads potentially convert a percentage of would-be thieves into revenue generators. Arguably an iron fist isn't the best way to deal with piracy. I've got a few ad-supported apps, and they're not so bad. There are ads on my TV, ads in my newspaper, ads on the radio, why not ads on my crossword puzzles? Different developers will find opportunities on different platforms. No one should assume it's easy to be a dev on iOS just because a few have made it big. Nor is Android the first platform to have some growing pains. Last edited by Marseille; 05-30-2011 at 12:38 AM.

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05-27-2011, 01:31 PM	#4
covfam Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 1139862 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Ipod Touch,Ipad3,Kindle fire, Samsung Galaxy tab, Samsung Galaxy S3	Im sure it will get better with time currently there are a ton of freebie apps some of quality some of junk. i think it will need more time for developers to start making full paid apps there. it will definatly help once the phone os & tablet os merge into a single os in the near future like google says they will do. The biggest problem with android market isnt the apps, its the craptastic app filtering system it uses... btw apple needs a better filter for the app store thier store bites as well. There are 3rd party markets that are much nicer for example amazon may not have the numbers of apps yet but they have a much nicer app store that lets you look specificly into what type of apps you want. Both the android market and apple app store are far to generalized and really make it hard to find what you want for example for example on amazon in games there are 16 sections for games alone but in android market there is only 6 if you want a role playing game or a strategy game in android market you have to search through 30,000 arcade/action games to find any. the apple store is just as bad both companies need to take a clue from amazon and other places like sime ebook retailers.

05-27-2011, 11:36 PM	#10
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	There is also a reader app that links to pirated books on the Android Market which is kind of bothersome. Is there any way of reporting such apps?

05-30-2011, 12:35 AM	#14
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,762 Karma: 30063305 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	Android app eco system is still growing I think once google is able to get carrier billing in other countries app sales should improve. Apple users were used to buying songs and other media from apple so they have easily translated to buying apps.

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