Size of the Average iOS App Increased 16% in Six Months

[Yvan256]

The Apps should be universal but the device should only store the data relevant to it.

Universal iOS App = iOS code and ressources for all devices (computer, iTunes Store).
iPhone 5 downloads the App = iOS code and resources for iPhone 5 only.

 

[cmichaelb]

I totally agree, it's nice to be able to buy a universal App but I shouldn't have to have all the excess data installed on my device for other devices. Apple either needs to find a way to deal with this or start to seriously start upping storage (preferably both). I filled up 16GB of my 32GB iPhone 5 in a month, while I am still pissed I was charged $100 for the extra storage I would have been more upset up if I had the 16GB version.

16GB isn't even big enough for my music. Let alone some podcast, audio books, a few videos, apps, etc.

I really think the MINIMUM size they should offer in ANY mobile device is 32GB. I mean how much will that really eat into Apple's profits per unit? It would also make a great selling point.

Now I'm no programmer, so this may be an asinine idea, but I wish a universal app could tell what device it is installed on or iTunes, and dump the portions(artwork etc.) that are not needed for that device to save space.

Edit - This-

The Apps should be universal but the device should only store the data relevant to it.

Universal iOS App = iOS code and ressources for all devices (computer, iTunes Store).
iPhone 5 downloads the App = iOS code and resources for iPhone 5 only.

 

[uknowimright]

heck even 16GB seems really small (1st thing coworker and I talked about the following day after receiving new iPads), 32GB needs to be the minimum

 

[rei101]

The biggest mistake for purchasing Apple product was buying the New iPad 16GB. While I wasn't really sure if I am going to use it at all I went cheap and bought the 16GB.. over the next 3-4 weeks I soon realized that this was a big mistake the more I felt in love with the gadget. So I don't see how an 8 GB iPad mini would be enough.

I gave the same iPad to my mom who is 70 years old and she already filled it! And she is not a photograph freak or anything, she does not know how to download applications. No clue what she did.

 

[Pakaku]

The problem is supporting all the different devices requires major duplication of all the assets. Adding retina iPad support to my game made it almost impossible to keep it under 50mb

Why not just sell it in standard-definition and host the high-definition graphics somewhere for download in the app afterwards? I've seen a few apps do that, so it's possible

Or just go the lazy route and sell it as a "retro 8-bit pixel" app...

 

[cg0def]

There's actually someone that still reads what ABI has to say ... fascinating! There are quite a few reasons why applications have grown and it really doesn't have much to do with the type of display. Actually, some applications have shrunk in size yet that blog article seems to completely ignore them.

Yes, games do grow in size as you start including higher res graphics and textures but the things is that price of flash memory has gone down making that a non-problem.
Plus the only type of apps that have a problem with being installed and removed later are the freemium ones which rely on continuous usage for revenue.
The side effect of having limited storage is that you actually have a stiffer competition for quality products and the iTunes offerings should become better. Hardly a problem if you ask me ...

 

[sinsin07]

8 gigs? In this day and age 8gigs shouldn't even be an option. I use 8 gigs just turning on my iPad LOL

 

[Breaking Good]

heck even 16GB seems really small (1st thing coworker and I talked about the following day after receiving new iPads), 32GB needs to be the minimum

Isn't 32GB the minimum for the latest iPod Touch?

Perhaps we'll see Apple moving to a 32GB/64GB/128GB for the full-sized iPad in the next refresh.

 

[lunaoso]

...And the maps app decreased 100%.

Do we really need to bring up maps in every forum? This is the new "iOS sucks anyway get an Android" line.

The Apps should be universal but the device should only store the data relevant to it.

Universal iOS App = iOS code and ressources for all devices (computer, iTunes Store).
iPhone 5 downloads the App = iOS code and resources for iPhone 5 only.

Exactly that would make much more sense. Similar to delta updates in a way.

 

[bobobenobi]

And the size of my iPad and iPhone each increased 100% in size this year.

 

[jayducharme]

I guess one option would be for an app to load assets on the fly from the almighty Cloud, but that would require a continuous Internet connection. And I'm sure apps would get less responsive.

I have a 32 gb iPhone, and it's 3/4 full (with not a lot on it). I agree that it's time Apple bumped the minimum storage to 32 and offered at least a 128 gb option. Either that or figure out a new way to encode assets so that they take up less room.

 

[bushido]

This is why an 8GB iPad Mini will be insufficient

it makes me sad to know that both my sister and my aunt got an 64 GB iPad and literally have like 5 apps on it ... yet i'm stuck with 32 GB and barely space left ^^

an 8GB iPad Mini would have been perfect for them

 

[joefrat]

New now bigger than ever!

16% more - same great price!

 

[iGrip]

This is indeed very good news! People will need to upgrade to larger storage capacities, and with the prices Apple gets for additional flash memory, the profit margins will surge!

Gotta love it! Apple's profitability is the key to their being able to provide better and better devices for all consumers. It is a win/win/sin for Apple, devs and consumers.

 

[TrentS]

...On The Small Screen....

Unless you're a gigantic app hoarder, I doubt it will make much difference in the grand scheme of things. 8GB might not be enough for some people, but that will be due to media, not apps.

Personally, 8GB is fine for me. I don't intend to use it for music, so it'll be enough for plenty of apps and a couple of movies.

Does anyone actually watch full length movies on their iPhone? I mean, actually watch it from start to finish? It's cool that you can do this, but practical? Not really.

PS - Yes, I suppose if you are on a long flight, maybe.....

 

[mactmaster]

Apple needs to add a step to app installation process where it cleans any resources not required on that specific device. The challenge to this is that it couldn't be done completely automatically since some resources will be shared across devices. It would require developers specifying which resources are shared and which are specific to a certain device.

Edit: Apple does have a naming convention in the developer guidelines which would make it easier for this process to be automatic but not all developers are following the naming convention. I suppose if Apple implemented this feature in a developer beta, then those who aren't following the guidelines would be pushed to start doing so.

 

[akac]

And the bloatware saga continues.

Images are not bloat. Bloat is code. That's what slows things down. Images are just resources. They don't get loaded until they are asked for.

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The Apps should be universal but the device should only store the data relevant to it.

Universal iOS App = iOS code and ressources for all devices (computer, iTunes Store).
iPhone 5 downloads the App = iOS code and resources for iPhone 5 only.

Agreed, but technically that could be kind of hard. Some resources might be reused in different places.

 

[Moonjumper]

Too many iOS games include major intro videos which are the majority of the app size. They look pretty, but add nothing to gameplay. It isn't a problem when the game is on a Blu-Ray disc, but iOS apps have to compete with a lot of other media for space.

I try to keep my apps as small as possible because I don't want mine to be deleted to make more space.

The game I am currently working on had 16MB of graphics. I spent a lot of time reducing that to 0.5MB without losing any quality (I wasn't very efficient in the early stages of the project, such reductions are rarely available, but never come without a lot of time investment). It has since risen to just over 1MB with the introduction of the retina iPad.

 

[marting]

Plenty of good reasons

Part of this is the extremely stupid way Apple handles universal apps. Instead of bundling everything into one app package, there's no reason not to split things up depending on the device. Incredible waste of space having high resolution files (iPad3) for devices such as the iPhone/iPod.

There are quite a few reasons, all of which make the experience for users very nice.
1. Being able to restore a non-Retina iPhone backup to a Retina iPhone and not having to re-download all your apps to get Retina graphics.
2. After syncing to iTunes, being able to sync that new Universal app onto another iOS device of any kind (iPad/iPhone or Retina/non-Retina), without having to re-download.
3. As generalization of #1, being able to restore any iOS device from any other iOS device backup.

This is why you never see posts complaining that: "it took me forever to redownload all my apps after I got my new Retina device", or "these apps don't look any different on my Retina display".

 

[iGrip]

I gave the same iPad to my mom who is 70 years old and she already filled it! And she is not a photograph freak or anything, she does not know how to download applications. No clue what she did.

The wisest course of action is to always buy the biggest capacity device that Apple sells. You will never regret it!

 

[mrothroc]

Retina display

As an app vendor, I can say that we discovered this when we updated our graphics for the Retina display. Once we factored in all of the small on-screen slices, along with bigger things like the help screens, we saw a significant increase in our download size.

Fortunately, a lot our our staff have extensive experience with graphics, and we were able to optimize the images to keep the app size down. I can see how a small shop, without this expertise, could very easily end up with a much larger package.

This is almost certainly a significant contributor to the increased size.

 

[MsQueen]

This does slightly bug me on my iPad 2. Having assets in game for a screen that can't take advantage of it does seem wasteful.

This review on Monopoly sums it up for me.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/monopoly-for-ipad/id405634168?mt=8

And in response to that review, given that the app isn't free, those will be the same people crying that they have to pay twice for the same app - one for iPad, one for the iPhone. That's why I prefer universal apps… But I know you could argue that some people may be getting app to strictly use it one one device.

 

[dcorban]

"Especially the consumers with 16GB devices are likely to become more conscious about what apps to keep and what to uninstall"

Just how many apps do they think people are installing? If the average app size is 23mb, you could fit 600 apps on a 16GB device, assuming 14GB of usable space. Pretend you have 8GB of music and video on there, and you still have room for 260 apps.

I just checked, and I have 38 apps installed for a total of 2GB. A few of those are large, free apps I downloaded, tried once, and will never touch again (e.g. EA's Theme Park at 400MB). I just haven't deleted them yet.

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This does slightly bug me on my iPad 2. Having assets in game for a screen that can't take advantage of it does seem wasteful.

This review on Monopoly sums it up for me.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/monopoly-for-ipad/id405634168?mt=8

It sounds like those developers need to use ImageOptim.

Although, the file size reported on the iTunes store for that game is 211MB. Is that not correct?

 

[APlotdevice]

And in response to that review, given that the app isn't free, those will be the same people crying that they have to pay twice for the same app - one for iPad, one for the iPhone. That's why I prefer universal apps… But I know you could argue that some people may be getting app to strictly use it one one device.

Monopoly is already split between the iPad and iPhone. The problem is it still needs seperate resources for retina and non-retina devices.

 

[Vizin]

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