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Developer Offers Inside Look at Sales Gap Between App Store and Android Market
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Personally I think android will become more profitable (eventually), the first phones out weren't exactly lookers for starters and second every review of android came away with the view that its a great start but the os isn't quite finished yet and when we get to about android 2.0 it will become far more appealing as an os, just look at the way the htc hero has been getting better reviews because of its customised interface etc.
I'd also hazzard a guess that the overall number of android phones sold is considerably less than the number of iPhones AND iPod touches - not the inclusion of the iPod touch as this is probably the biggest differentiator.
I'd also hazzard a guess that the overall number of android phones sold is considerably less than the number of iPhones AND iPod touches - not the inclusion of the iPod touch as this is probably the biggest differentiator.
Google made the same mistake as Microsoft, they give the OS to Asian handset makers who customize it for each phone. and they will sell multiple phones with it with varying specs. and HTC, Samsung and LG don't care what they use, as long as they sell handsets.
I have a T-Mo store where i live and there is a big poster proclaiming the Mytouch 3G, with tiny print at the bottom that says by Google. I bet most people who buy these phones don't know it runs a Google OS or that there is even the Android Marketplace. and the phones are a lot more expensive than the iphone when you compare features
and last is that google screwed up by requiring software to be written in Java. it makes writing nice games almost impossible due to performance reasons. with the iphone you code to the silicon.
First, it's probably on page 1 because it's a slow day and there's nothing else new on page one.
Second, what are you talking about? Everyone loves google. Have you forgotten the veritable firestorm of rage when apple blocked google voice? Or seen one of the hundred threads about getting push gmail on the iphone or syncing google calendars and contacts?
In the minds of a small minority, yes. But it's still an unprecedented opportunity for developers and a smashing success with users.
The two phones are for different types of markets. With the exception of the people who get android to avoid AT+T, most get android because of the lower cost (both the phone an provider) of android. It's no surprise that iPhone users are more willing to spend money on apps.
Wrong. Initially, their SDK only provided for Java apps to be run over their Dalvik emulator. In June they opened that up to C and C++. You can even script with Python and Lua. Android has only been out 10 months, and is being worked on as an open project. That is the trade off for getting one SDK free and the other for a fee.
Edit: You are now required to pay a $25 registration fee for Android Market.
C'mon MR! There were decent blogs that linked to this story way ahead of TechCrunch. Was it really necessary to link to Arrington's crappy blog?
I posted this on TechCrunch, but I want everyone to see it just so you can understand the scope of the problem on Android:
Unfortunately that seems to be the actual attitude of a lot of devs. You have to accept that you may put hundreds of hours into developing some application or game and you might sell a few dozen copies the first day and that might be the end of it.
The alternative is even more bleak - try to put a Windows Mobile version on a website somewhere. You won't be able to give it away. How long was that LA Fitness shooter's diary out on the internet without anyone reading about his deadly plans? There's just too much stuff on the internet.
There was an initial gold rush, for sure. Does anyone really believe, though, that Trism would have earned what it did if it were released today?
Anything that a single person can develop in their spare time overlaps well within the domain of applications that modern computer users expect to get for free. If you want to make big money, you're going to have to make big investments and take big risks.
Devs like to bitch about the App Store, but the App Store virtually guarantees you'll make at least a dollar. That's pretty amazing in today's world.
The people who try and downplay the App Store by saying people like Handmark do the same things on other platforms obviously have never used the Appstore. Seriously, no one else has a platform as simple as click, buy, download. That is it, people get what they want when they want it and that is why it has been so successful. So many people think the only way to innovate is new ideas, while many successful innovations have been because of a proper execution. An idea not properly executed amounts to nothing.
Luckily I just saw an Engadget post saying that Google is bringing new improvements to the marketplace, hopefully that will perk the sales up a bit. The biggest problem with Android right now is the poor hardware. The HTC Hero is a step in the right direction but they need something with the power of a 3GS/Pre in order to truly compete.
Luckily I just saw an Engadget post saying that Google is bringing new improvements to the marketplace, hopefully that will perk the sales up a bit. The biggest problem with Android right now is the poor hardware. The HTC Hero is a step in the right direction but they need something with the power of a 3GS/Pre in order to truly compete.
1) How is the HTC Magic more expensive? Same up-front price ($199 with 2 year contract extension) and T-Mobile has cheaper data plans ($25 unlimited).
2) Android phones have MORE features. SIP (softphone) clients, tethering, Google Voice integration (free SMS), Google Latitude. All without jailbreaking! Plus physical features are pretty much the same (Nice external speaker, capacitive touchscreen, haptic feedback, digital compass, GPS, bluetooth, wi-fi). Screen is just a tiny bit smaller on the HTC Magic, I will admit.
The thing with Android phones is that we have not seen anything yet. Motorola has an announcement coming up on the 10th of September for their entry, the Qualcomm snapdragon platform is coming with 1 GHZ processors and the same PowerVR chip as the iPhone, Sony-Ericsson is developping a custom GUI called Rachael and finally Android Donut (either 1.6 or 2.0)*.
Once these better handsets come out, we will see wider adoption of the platform by manufacturer and wider adoption of the phones themselves. Rogers in Canada is aggressively marketing the Dream and Magic already.
Personally though, I'm looking at the Nokia N900, their new phone based on their tablet platform, Maemo. I hope it comes to Canada.
Agreed. I think we are still in the early stage of the cell phone game and Google is in it for the long run. Eventually I think that Android will eventually dominate the marketplace. It would be hard for me to believe that the iPhone will dominate the smartphone market considering Apple's OS is only on one device.
A significant chunk of the Android market (including both of the two Android users I know personally) consists of FOSSheads. They will never pay for software, no matter how great it is, because they will only run FOSS.
Trying to sell things to people who refuse to pay for them as a matter of principle is a pretty lousy business model.
Trying to sell things to people who refuse to pay for them as a matter of principle is a pretty lousy business model.
how much storage does the Magic have? and T-Mo's 3G network is the smallest of the carriers.
Sprint and t-mo's bills are $10 less than VZ and AT&T, and that's where the money goes for better phones and larger 3G networks
wow. now those are some crazy numbers. i just don't see any other app store really competing with apple's
it makes it a lot easier for devs. few months ago i read a story about the guy who runs crackberry and his dev experience. RIM has a few SDK's to choose from each supports different versions of it's OS and different hardware features. forgot the rest of the details but it was a lot harder than developing for the iphone.
same thing for games. before i bought my iphone i looked at EAMobile. you have one section that runs on iphone. then another where you have to figure out which phone you have. if you develop an app for the iphone you just need the sales data to decide which generation of device you want to support. the OS is the same across all devices.
same with WinMo. there is a new model of device every month that sells a million copies or so until it's replaced by a new model. One OS but different hardware combination's including different CPU's. a lot harder to develop for
This is a good point. Those "There's an App For That" commercials are pretty effective at getting the point across, and getting people interested in buying an iPhone simply because they have such a great App Store.
I'm getting tired of hearing there's no "gatekeeper" on the Android market. There may not be a gatekeeper, but there are police. My friend had an app pulled off the market.
Where's the news stories talking about that?
http://androidcommunity.com/android-tethering-apps-pulled-from-market-20090331/
http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=26969
Found these off a quick search. My friend's app didn't violate anything and he never found out why it was pulled, just got a cute email from Google about it.
Where's the news stories talking about that?
http://androidcommunity.com/android-tethering-apps-pulled-from-market-20090331/
http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=26969
Found these off a quick search. My friend's app didn't violate anything and he never found out why it was pulled, just got a cute email from Google about it.
At least, I get to use my own brain to decide which apps are good for me. I don't have to pay a premium for some low paid, half intelligent app reviewer sitting in the US deciding what I should use. 
Also, push gmail is a big, big carrot...
Has anyone here tried the Sense UI?
(Mac user since 2003)
Edit: There you go http://androinica.com/2009/09/01/android-market-rumored-to-undergo-cosmetic-surgery/
Also, push gmail is a big, big carrot...
Has anyone here tried the Sense UI?
(Mac user since 2003)
Edit: There you go http://androinica.com/2009/09/01/android-market-rumored-to-undergo-cosmetic-surgery/
That's all true but it's hard for me to believe that the iPhone will dominate market share or keep it fractured enough to the point where Apple has a slight share in percentage.The devs will go anywhere they can make a profit and wherever the consumer goes. I've already seen what has happened between Windows and the Mac and I can see this happening again. It's hard for me to believe a majority will go buy an iPhone. The main weakness I see for the iPhone in the future is not the App Store approval process but not being able to install apps outside of the App Store. I do hope Apple has learned from their mistakes during the PC wars.
late last year when my wife wanted a new cell phone i looked at the Storm, other blackberries and the iphone. the 16GB 3G was same price or cheaper and it had better specs.
same thing with the 3GS, when you compare the storage and other features of phones on VZ and AT&T the iPhone is very competitive if not cheaper. the top of the line WinMo phones are $349 and if you want MS Exchange integration in a personal blackberry it's going to cost you $45 a month for the data. I just checked and a Tour will cost me $85 a month before taxes
i don't count Sprint or T-Mo because their networks are smaller and they cater to the cheaper crowd
same thing with the 3GS, when you compare the storage and other features of phones on VZ and AT&T the iPhone is very competitive if not cheaper. the top of the line WinMo phones are $349 and if you want MS Exchange integration in a personal blackberry it's going to cost you $45 a month for the data. I just checked and a Tour will cost me $85 a month before taxes
i don't count Sprint or T-Mo because their networks are smaller and they cater to the cheaper crowd