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Anecdotal evidence and total sample of one person using actively both platforms, but I don't find many (or any, so far) apps for Android that I would consider b

by bnastic 11y ago

Anecdotal evidence and total sample of one person using actively both platforms, but I don't find many (or any, so far) apps for Android that I would consider buying. I have downloaded roughly the same number of apps on both phones, but I only ever bought iPhone and iPad apps (mostly from iOS-only developers, like OmniGroup). Is that just the part of platform identity, or overall software quality? Discovery issue, or reliance on well known software names before purchashing? I don't know, but I find I rely on Firefox on Android for mostly everything I do on that platform (excluding free communication apps), while iOS is far more varied.

aidos 11y ago
More anecdotal info but I've just started using my first android device this month and I feel like the store is far more inspiring and enticing. I suspect the revenue difference is going come down to class of user and disposable income.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
tdkl 11y ago
There's a lot of apps and choice on Android where you can use a free or ad supported app, while on the App Store there's simply only a paid solution. The lack of a "trial" or 15 minutes refund window was also annoying on iOS. That's perhaps also why there's more revenue generated. I just switched back to Android from iOS after 8 months and noticed this first hand.
- mstade 11y ago
  Oh man I'd love a 15 min refund window. So many apps I've bought only to discover five minutes into using them that I was duped by glossy marketing, but because the price was $4.99 or whatever it's just not worth arguing over it. I'm dreading to know the aggregate though..
  - fpgeek 11y ago
    If you'd love a 15 minute refund window, I wonder how you feel about the current Google Play refund window (2 hours). See: http://www.androidcentral.com/google-play-support-page-confirms-new-2-hour-refund-window-apps-and-games http://www.androidcentral.com/google-play-support-page-confi...
    - azzafazza 11y ago
      Jesus. That is a terrible play and pushes devs away from the ecosystem. 2 hours only serves to hurt developers.
      - Oletros 11y ago
        And 15 minutes?
      - ghaff 11y ago
        I hope you're not arguing against any refund window at all. One can legitimately debate whether an appropriate window is 15 minutes, 2 hours, or a day but you should absolutely be able to get a refund if the program is unsatisfactory. Personally, it seems as if I might want more than 15 minutes to play around with a complex app, maybe going through a tutorial, etc. before deciding it doesn't work for me. If a developer is dependent on users not having a real chance to try out their app before paying their money, they should probably try to either improve their designs or take up another line of work.
        azzafazza 11y ago
        2 hours is a preposterous amount of time for a "no-questions asked" return policy. No wonder devs don't put any effort in on the Play Store!
        ghaff 11y ago
        If an application can't deliver more than 2 hours of value, maybe it's not worth very much. It's not a movie. FWIW, the Apple app store doesn't have a formal time limit but you have to provide a reason.
- charlesarthur 11y ago
  I see (and get) lots of apps which are free, with limitations so that you can decide whether to buy the in-app purchase - which is effectively "the app". And I see full-featured ad-supported apps with an IAP to end the ads too. True, those aren't time-limited trials; they're in effect feature-limited trials and pleasure-limited (annoyance-added) trials.
- nodamage 11y ago
  I guess this is not well known, but in practice it's possible to get a refund on any iOS/Mac app purchased from the App Store simply by writing App Store support and asking for one.
  - tdkl 11y ago
    There's even a more direct option using iTunes or on the web: http://www.imore.com/how-to-get-refund-itunes-app-store http://www.imore.com/how-to-get-refund-itunes-app-store It worked on a dodgy TV tracking app I got.
    - nodamage 11y ago
      Right. And there's no time limit as far as I know.
      - tdkl 11y ago
        Actually there is, three months from the date of purchase. Apple "report a problem website" states it at login : "To report a problem with iTunes, iBooks Store, iOS, or Mac App Store purchases made in the last 90 days, sign in with your Apple ID. For help with older purchases, contact iTunes Store Support." So I guess there's no limit with contacting support option as you said.
DominikR 11y ago
I made the switch to iPhones a year ago (although I'm still mainly an Android developer) and can agree somewhat with your statement. I rarely bought anything from the Google Play Store but I'm pretty sure this is due to the fact that on Android there is almost ALWAYS a free alternative for whatever you need. On iOS not so much, even the crappiest app will cost you something. But on the other hand I would do the same. iOS users are willing to spend more money on mobile apps/services which is also the reason why they buy expensive high end phones in the first place instead of buying a 50$ Android phone.
- chii 11y ago
  > even the crappiest app will cost you something. isn't that a sign that competition in a more open platform makes for a better market for the consumer? And that paying for software is a thing of the past, and that other revenue models needs to be thought up. Games have already made the transition, mainly due to the way they raced to the bottom and high cost of production, but i suspect utility apps will follow suit very soon.
  - herbst 11y ago
    IMHO they did. They serve ads and make often more money than if they would sell the app for a reasonable price. You even see this on Windows applications, like qTorrent which imo really sucks, but thats exactly what you get from expecting free software.
  - s73v3r 11y ago
    I think it's more that there are more hobbyist developers on Android, whereas iOS developers are trying to make a business out of it.
- JustSomeNobody 11y ago
  > ... on Android there is almost ALWAYS a free alternative... This is key. I don't mind paying for apps, but if I can find a free (beer/libre) one (such as on F-DROID), I'll go for that first.
- Tiksi 11y ago
VikingCoder 11y ago
There's another way to view that... On Android, you expect high quality for free. On iPhone, you expect that to achieve high quality, you have to pay for it. I don't experience that iOS is "more varied." Maybe it is. Sounds pretty subjective.

by bnastic 11y ago

aidos 11y ago

More anecdotal info but I've just started using my first android device this month and I feel like the store is far more inspiring and enticing. I suspect the revenue difference is going come down to class of user and disposable income.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

tdkl 11y ago

There's a lot of apps and choice on Android where you can use a free or ad supported app, while on the App Store there's simply only a paid solution. The lack of a "trial" or 15 minutes refund window was also annoying on iOS. That's perhaps also why there's more revenue generated. I just switched back to Android from iOS after 8 months and noticed this first hand.

mstade 11y ago
Oh man I'd love a 15 min refund window. So many apps I've bought only to discover five minutes into using them that I was duped by glossy marketing, but because the price was $4.99 or whatever it's just not worth arguing over it. I'm dreading to know the aggregate though..
- fpgeek 11y ago
  If you'd love a 15 minute refund window, I wonder how you feel about the current Google Play refund window (2 hours). See: http://www.androidcentral.com/google-play-support-page-confirms-new-2-hour-refund-window-apps-and-games http://www.androidcentral.com/google-play-support-page-confi...
  - azzafazza 11y ago
    Jesus. That is a terrible play and pushes devs away from the ecosystem. 2 hours only serves to hurt developers.
    - Oletros 11y ago
      And 15 minutes?
    - ghaff 11y ago
      I hope you're not arguing against any refund window at all. One can legitimately debate whether an appropriate window is 15 minutes, 2 hours, or a day but you should absolutely be able to get a refund if the program is unsatisfactory. Personally, it seems as if I might want more than 15 minutes to play around with a complex app, maybe going through a tutorial, etc. before deciding it doesn't work for me. If a developer is dependent on users not having a real chance to try out their app before paying their money, they should probably try to either improve their designs or take up another line of work.
      - azzafazza 11y ago
        2 hours is a preposterous amount of time for a "no-questions asked" return policy. No wonder devs don't put any effort in on the Play Store!
        ghaff 11y ago
        If an application can't deliver more than 2 hours of value, maybe it's not worth very much. It's not a movie. FWIW, the Apple app store doesn't have a formal time limit but you have to provide a reason.
charlesarthur 11y ago
I see (and get) lots of apps which are free, with limitations so that you can decide whether to buy the in-app purchase - which is effectively "the app". And I see full-featured ad-supported apps with an IAP to end the ads too. True, those aren't time-limited trials; they're in effect feature-limited trials and pleasure-limited (annoyance-added) trials.
nodamage 11y ago
I guess this is not well known, but in practice it's possible to get a refund on any iOS/Mac app purchased from the App Store simply by writing App Store support and asking for one.
- tdkl 11y ago
  There's even a more direct option using iTunes or on the web: http://www.imore.com/how-to-get-refund-itunes-app-store http://www.imore.com/how-to-get-refund-itunes-app-store It worked on a dodgy TV tracking app I got.
  - nodamage 11y ago
    Right. And there's no time limit as far as I know.
    - tdkl 11y ago
      Actually there is, three months from the date of purchase. Apple "report a problem website" states it at login : "To report a problem with iTunes, iBooks Store, iOS, or Mac App Store purchases made in the last 90 days, sign in with your Apple ID. For help with older purchases, contact iTunes Store Support." So I guess there's no limit with contacting support option as you said.

DominikR 11y ago

I made the switch to iPhones a year ago (although I'm still mainly an Android developer) and can agree somewhat with your statement. I rarely bought anything from the Google Play Store but I'm pretty sure this is due to the fact that on Android there is almost ALWAYS a free alternative for whatever you need. On iOS not so much, even the crappiest app will cost you something. But on the other hand I would do the same. iOS users are willing to spend more money on mobile apps/services which is also the reason why they buy expensive high end phones in the first place instead of buying a 50$ Android phone.

chii 11y ago
> even the crappiest app will cost you something. isn't that a sign that competition in a more open platform makes for a better market for the consumer? And that paying for software is a thing of the past, and that other revenue models needs to be thought up. Games have already made the transition, mainly due to the way they raced to the bottom and high cost of production, but i suspect utility apps will follow suit very soon.
- herbst 11y ago
  IMHO they did. They serve ads and make often more money than if they would sell the app for a reasonable price. You even see this on Windows applications, like qTorrent which imo really sucks, but thats exactly what you get from expecting free software.
- s73v3r 11y ago
  I think it's more that there are more hobbyist developers on Android, whereas iOS developers are trying to make a business out of it.
JustSomeNobody 11y ago
> ... on Android there is almost ALWAYS a free alternative... This is key. I don't mind paying for apps, but if I can find a free (beer/libre) one (such as on F-DROID), I'll go for that first.
Tiksi 11y ago

VikingCoder 11y ago

There's another way to view that... On Android, you expect high quality for free. On iPhone, you expect that to achieve high quality, you have to pay for it. I don't experience that iOS is "more varied." Maybe it is. Sounds pretty subjective.