I remember years ago, when members of my family had iPhones and I used to use my Android, they used to say that one of the biggest shortcomings of the Mountain View operating system was the number of applicationsas well as his quality. It's nice to see how things have changed since then. Now we're not only seeing the biggest and most important apps coming to Android, but we're also seeing how the app stores they get on the same level. Google Play y App Store they have more than 700.000 applications.
Tied, for now, according to official information. It is clear that the App Store will be a bit above, since Google Play It has just arrived, but without a doubt, the progression The latter is a determining factor. While Apple's app store previously dominated, Google's has been growing all these past months, and unless its growth now stops for some special reason, it is most likely that it could soon reach overcome to its counterpart from Cupertino.
Without a doubt, what has led to the store's growth being so great has been the number of devices with Android on the market. At first, it was mainly iOS users who enjoyed the apps and were most accustomed to downloading and installing them; it was one of the main pillars of any iPhone or iPad. However, today that's already a custom for any Android user, and the number of smartphones with Google's operating system is much greater than that of iPhones. This makes the developers are more interested to develop primarily for Android, as it allows them to reach a wider audience. At least now we're no longer a secondary part of the project, but as central as the iOS version.
Quantity versus quality and the role of tablets
That both stores exceed the NO apps shows maturity, but Quantity is not synonymous with qualityIndustry reports recall that Apple has boasted a large volume of apps optimized for iPad, a historic advantage in software adapted to large screens. On Android, Google has driven optimization with its reference devices and design guides, raising the bar for apps for tablets and improving the experience.
Revenue, downloads and monetization
The application stores They are a multi-million dollar business where they compete for users and for use time. Analysis by firms such as App Annie have indicated that, despite the fact that Google Play is close to or exceeds the 90% of the download volume of the App Store in comparable periods, the Apple store has generated up to 2,6 times more income in certain sections. The nuance is key: on Android the weight of the free model with advertising is older.
Another constant is the relevance of the games: represent around 70% of Revenue in the App Store and near the 80% on Google Play, leading the revenue charts and defining user acquisition strategies. In addition, Apple has communicated on several occasions very high cumulative payments to developers, an attractive argument for creators seeking profitability.
Regions, access and policies
The geographic map explains part of the difference in income: United States is a traditional Apple stronghold, while Japan and South Korea They have strongly boosted billing on Google Play; United Kingdom, Germany, China or Australia They also appear among the most relevant markets. In addition, in countries where the Google Play Store is not fully operational, users turn to alternative markets, which does not count towards the Google Play box.
In terms of policies, Google has historically opted for a more relaxed review which later hardened, and Apple maintained a process of stricter healingThis contrast has influenced the perception of quality and publication speed, while other smaller platforms have tried to gain traction with much smaller catalogs.
Real user experience and perception
Beyond the numbers, the experience account. The freedom of Android allows you to install almost anything from Google Play, but if the user abuses low-quality apps and full of advertising, it is normal for crashes and unjustified bad reputation towards the system to arise. On iOS, the feeling of fluency It relies on polished transitions; on Android, managing multiple tabs or processes simultaneously is also possible and has improved with each iteration of the system.
Competition is good for everyone: it pushes Google and Apple to improve tools for developers, refine standards, reduce fraud and enhance the to maximise security and your enjoyment. and the visibility of quality apps. With catalogs already equal in magnitude, the difference is made by the experience, monetization and regional focus.
Today, with both stores in colossal numbers, the question is no longer just who gets to the store first. million apps, but who offers the best balance between quality, income and accessibility for users and developers worldwide.
