The fast growing mobile phone market has become the home for innovation in technology, and developers from around the world are struggling to get a piece of this massive, delicious pie.
Tech giant Google raced ahead in the first quarter, with the company’s Google Play marketplace seeing a 45 percent increase in downloads over competitor Apple’s iOS. The report, that was published online by an analysis firm, is further evidence of the confidence consumers place in the Android platform.
While this report did not include figures from Amazon’s AppStore – which is considered by many to be a better Android goldmine – it did bring some interesting facts to light. The most significant change is probably the fact that Google Play is closing the revenue gap against the iOS App Store. As expected, the number of downloads from Google Play exceed those of its competitor by a healthy margin. Thanks to emerging markets like Mexico and Turkey, where smartphone usage is increasing, the number of users on Android devices in particular continues to rise.
However, with most users being from emerging markets, it should come as no surprise that the main markets helping with revenue are the United States, and the U.K. In the US alone, Google Play saw an increase of more than 50 percent as compared to the last quarter. This puts the US at the second spot, ahead of South Korea, on the Market Index; with Japan bagging the top spot, and South Korea being bumped down to third. A major part of the revenue reportedly comes from games, such as Clash of Clans, and in-app purchases.
On the other hand, growth at Apple’s iOS App Store is being driven mainly by US and Chinese consumers. While the news about Chinese consumers being fans of iOS Apps may come as a surprise to some, it should be recalled that Apple is bringing the iPhone to China Mobile, which incidentally has seen nearly a million people join the Apple club in February alone. Additionally, smaller markets such as South Africa and Vietnam are also gaining a foothold with the service. Most of the revenue at iOS remains from games, while finance related apps also saw an increase in sales, mainly due to tax season.
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