4 ms·

A giant market with a single gatekeeper. Does anyone have thoughts on alternative app stores like Google Play or Amazon? The markets are obviously much smaller

A giant market with a single gatekeeper. Does anyone have thoughts on alternative app stores like Google Play or Amazon? The markets are obviously much smaller, but there's also much less competition.

paulcole 9y ago
Doesn't Android have like 85% of the global market? Doesn't that make a Google Play MUCH larger potential market?
- valuearb 9y ago
  No, because most of that volume is driven by super cheap phones, and their owners spend far less on apps. iOS phones are all high end devices.
  - melling 9y ago
    I'm not sure a lot of developers make money on iOS. I think it's now larger companies. There are still millions of apps so discoverability is impossible. You can't spend much to advertise a free app, and you can't really charge money. I wrote a simple Word Search app a couple months ago, localized it, and have had zero downloads outside the US and Canada. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/h4labs-word-search/id1311744075?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/h4labs-word-search/id1311744... In 2010, I whipped up a quick little language app on Android and saw several thousand global downloads within a month( there were about 10,000 apps at the time).
    - Steko 9y ago
      Not saying anything about larger point but iOS in 2018 vs Android in 2010 seems like an Apples to Rutabegas comparison.
    - giarc 9y ago
      >There are still millions of apps so discoverability is impossible I know it doesn't really help, but Apple has started to remove old, abandoned apps.
    - Terretta 9y ago
      > ... not sure developers make money on iOS ... it’s now larger companies So, just because the company is large, doesn’t mean an AI is writing the software. The large company developers make money on iOS, as a steady paycheck instead of a fingernail biter. Given comparison between film and iOS industries, it’s a little like working for Peter Jackson and Weta Digital instead of hoping to pull of the next Alive in Joburg at home.
- charlesdm 9y ago
  No, less. Android users also mostly do not pay, especially in comparison to iOS users.
  - paulcole 9y ago
    This is why I said, "potential" market.
    - tonyarkles 9y ago
      If you're defining the potential of the market by the number of people, then yes, it's a potentially huge market. If you're defining the potential of a market by the amount of money the population of people are putting into it, then no, not so much. (I tend to go for the latter definition, personally)
- on_and_off 9y ago
  It does, it can be harder to sell on app on play though. Also comparing marketshare does not paint the whole picture. iOS phones tend to be costlier than Android ones. It would be probably better to compare their sales for similarly priced phones. IIRC (and I have got to say I have not looked at these stats in a while), costly Android phones sell a bit more than iOS ones, but are small fraction of these 85%
- protomyth 9y ago
  A lot of the phones are like the Alcatel Pop Star 2 on prepaid plans. They are Android phones, but really not very good at running any app. But, when they are being sold for under $50 its understandable and fills a nice market niche. for reference: https://www.walmart.com/browse/cell-phones/straight-talk-cell-phones/1105910_1045119_1068804?cat_id=1105910_1045119_1068804&facet=operating_system:Android https://www.walmart.com/browse/cell-phones/straight-talk-cel...

paulcole 9y ago

Doesn't Android have like 85% of the global market? Doesn't that make a Google Play MUCH larger potential market?

valuearb 9y ago
No, because most of that volume is driven by super cheap phones, and their owners spend far less on apps. iOS phones are all high end devices.
- melling 9y ago
  I'm not sure a lot of developers make money on iOS. I think it's now larger companies. There are still millions of apps so discoverability is impossible. You can't spend much to advertise a free app, and you can't really charge money. I wrote a simple Word Search app a couple months ago, localized it, and have had zero downloads outside the US and Canada. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/h4labs-word-search/id1311744075?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/h4labs-word-search/id1311744... In 2010, I whipped up a quick little language app on Android and saw several thousand global downloads within a month( there were about 10,000 apps at the time).
  - Steko 9y ago
    Not saying anything about larger point but iOS in 2018 vs Android in 2010 seems like an Apples to Rutabegas comparison.
  - giarc 9y ago
    >There are still millions of apps so discoverability is impossible I know it doesn't really help, but Apple has started to remove old, abandoned apps.
  - Terretta 9y ago
    > ... not sure developers make money on iOS ... it’s now larger companies So, just because the company is large, doesn’t mean an AI is writing the software. The large company developers make money on iOS, as a steady paycheck instead of a fingernail biter. Given comparison between film and iOS industries, it’s a little like working for Peter Jackson and Weta Digital instead of hoping to pull of the next Alive in Joburg at home.
charlesdm 9y ago
No, less. Android users also mostly do not pay, especially in comparison to iOS users.
- paulcole 9y ago
  This is why I said, "potential" market.
  - tonyarkles 9y ago
    If you're defining the potential of the market by the number of people, then yes, it's a potentially huge market. If you're defining the potential of a market by the amount of money the population of people are putting into it, then no, not so much. (I tend to go for the latter definition, personally)
on_and_off 9y ago
It does, it can be harder to sell on app on play though. Also comparing marketshare does not paint the whole picture. iOS phones tend to be costlier than Android ones. It would be probably better to compare their sales for similarly priced phones. IIRC (and I have got to say I have not looked at these stats in a while), costly Android phones sell a bit more than iOS ones, but are small fraction of these 85%
protomyth 9y ago
A lot of the phones are like the Alcatel Pop Star 2 on prepaid plans. They are Android phones, but really not very good at running any app. But, when they are being sold for under $50 its understandable and fills a nice market niche. for reference: https://www.walmart.com/browse/cell-phones/straight-talk-cell-phones/1105910_1045119_1068804?cat_id=1105910_1045119_1068804&facet=operating_system:Android https://www.walmart.com/browse/cell-phones/straight-talk-cel...