Overview of the App Store and Google Play

Before we dive into the differences and considerations, let’s start by understanding what the App Store and Google Play are:

The App Store:

The App Store is Apple’s official marketplace for iOS and macOS applications. It was launched in 2008 and has since become one of the largest and most lucrative app platforms in the world. The App Store offers a wide range of apps, including games, productivity tools, social networking apps, and more. It is known for its strict app review process and premium user experience.

Google Play:

Google Play, on the other hand, is Google’s counterpart to the App Store. It is the primary marketplace for Android applications and was launched in 2012. Google Play serves as the central hub for Android users to discover, download, and update apps. It caters to a diverse user base and offers a vast selection of apps and games.

Now that we have a basic understanding of both platforms let’s explore the key differences and considerations when deciding between the App Store and Google Play.

Key Differences:

1. Platform Ecosystem:

One of the most significant differences between the App Store and Google Play is the ecosystem they belong to. The App Store is tightly integrated into Apple’s ecosystem, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This means that apps developed for the App Store are optimized to work seamlessly across various Apple devices. On the other hand, Google Play is part of the broader Android ecosystem, which includes a wide range of device manufacturers, screen sizes, and hardware capabilities.

Consideration:

If you have a specific target audience within the Apple ecosystem, the App Store might be the better choice for you. Conversely, if you want to reach a more diverse audience across various Android devices, Google Play is the way to go.

2. App Review Process:

The app review process is where the App Store and Google Play differ significantly. Apple is known for its stringent review process, where every app submission is thoroughly examined for quality, security, and compliance with Apple’s guidelines. This strict approach ensures a higher level of app quality and security but can lead to longer approval times and potential rejection.

Google Play’s review process is generally less strict, focusing primarily on security and malware checks. While this means quicker app approvals, it can sometimes result in a higher number of low-quality or potentially harmful apps on the platform.

Consideration:

If your app adheres to Apple’s guidelines and you prioritize quality and security, you might find the App Store’s review process more suitable. If you value faster deployment and a less stringent approval process, Google Play could be a better fit.

3. Revenue Models:

Both the App Store and Google Play offer revenue-sharing models for developers, but their fee structures differ. Apple’s App Store charges a 15-30% commission on app sales and in-app purchases, depending on the developer’s annual revenue. Google Play follows a similar model, with a 15-30% commission on app sales and in-app purchases.

However, there is a key difference when it comes to in-app subscription fees. Apple’s policy states that if a user subscribes to a service within an app, the developer must share 15-30% of the revenue with Apple. In contrast, Google Play reduced its subscription fee to 15% for the first year and then 15% for subsequent years, making it more developer-friendly for subscription-based apps.

Consideration:

Consider your app’s revenue model and how the platform’s fee structure aligns with your business goals. If your app relies heavily on in-app subscriptions, Google Play might be a more cost-effective choice in the long run.

4. Market Share and Audience:

Another critical difference between the App Store and Google Play is their market share and user base. As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, Android had a larger global market share compared to iOS. Android’s open ecosystem has made it accessible to a broader range of users, particularly in emerging markets.

Apple, on the other hand, maintains a strong presence in high-income markets and has a loyal user base. iOS users tend to spend more on apps and in-app purchases, making it an attractive platform for monetization.

Consideration:

Your target audience plays a significant role in your choice between the two platforms. If you want to reach a more extensive, diverse user base, Google Play’s larger market share may be advantageous. However, if your app caters to a premium audience with higher spending capacity, the App Store might be the better option.

5. Development Tools and Language:

The development tools and programming languages used for app development also differ between the App Store and Google Play. Apple’s preferred programming language for iOS app development is Swift, with Objective-C being used for legacy apps. Google Play primarily relies on Java and Kotlin for Android app development.

Consideration:

Your choice of development language and tools may depend on your development team’s expertise and your app’s specific requirements. Consider your team’s skillset and comfort with the chosen language when making your decision.

6. Revenue and Monetization Strategies:

Both platforms provide various monetization opportunities for developers, including:

• Paid Apps: You can charge users to download your app.
• In-App Purchases: Offer additional content or features within your app for a fee.
• Ads: Integrate advertising to generate revenue.
• Subscriptions: Offer premium content or services on a subscription basis.
• Freemium Models: Offer a free basic version with the option to upgrade for premium features.

Consider which monetization strategy aligns best with your app’s content and target audience. For instance, if your app relies on ad revenue, you might consider Google Play’s larger user base. If you’re developing a premium app or content-based service, the App Store’s higher-spending user base could be more profitable.

Considerations for Choosing Between the App Store and Google Play:

Now that we’ve explored the key differences between the App Store and Google Play, let’s summarize the key considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right platform for your app:

1. Target Audience: Determine whether your app’s target audience is primarily iOS or Android users. This will significantly influence your choice.
2. Development Resources: Assess your development team’s skills and experience with the respective platforms and programming languages.
3. Revenue Model: Consider how your app plans to generate revenue, whether through app sales, in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ads.
4. Monetization Strategy: Align your app’s monetization strategy with the platform that offers the most favorable terms and access to your target audience.
5. Market Share: Evaluate the global and regional market share of both platforms to understand where your app can gain the most traction.
6. Review Process: Decide whether you prioritize a stringent review process for quality and security (App Store) or a quicker approval process (Google Play).
7. Ecosystem Integration: Consider whether your app can benefit from tight integration with Apple’s ecosystem (App Store) or the open Android ecosystem (Google Play).
8. Long-Term Goals: Think about your app’s long-term goals and how they align with the platform’s policies and fee structures.
9. User Spending Habits: Analyze user spending habits on each platform and choose the one that aligns with your revenue expectations.
10. Geographic Reach: If you have a specific geographic target, research the platform’s market penetration in those regions.

Conclusion:

Choosing between the App Store and Google Play is a crucial decision for app developers and business owners. Each platform has its own set of advantages and considerations, and the right choice depends on your app’s goals, target audience, and revenue model. Carefully assess the factors discussed in this blog post to make an informed decision that sets your app up for success in the competitive world of mobile app development. Remember that the app landscape is continually evolving, so staying up to date with platform changes and user preferences is essential for long-term success on either platform.

The post The App Store vs. Google Play: Key Differences and Considerations appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The two operating systems dominate the market, with figures from Q2 2018 suggesting that Android OS accounts for an 88 per cent share and iOS holds around 11.9 percent. While the likes of Microsoft and RIM once had a place in this world, they have fallen by the wayside as Google and Apple’s unstoppable creations have marched to the top.

A number of differences

While the pair are now truly out on their own in terms of their performance in the market, they are different in a number of ways. For example, as this VPNbase article on the best Android VPN services outlines, Android devices are seen as less exclusive and arguably more flexible than Apple’s iOS-based alternatives. While the site states this is a “wonderful thing”, it does also warn that this can open Android systems up to a range of risks.

On a more technical level, another key difference is how apps for the two systems are created. While iOS apps are stored on a file type known as an IPA, Android apps use the format known as APK. This issue, in particular, has caused a headache for many businesses in recent years, as this has meant it is not necessarily easy for them to quickly adapt apps for one OS to another.

However, could a major new toolkit created by developers at Google be about to change the game in this regard?

Introducing Flutter

At the start of December, Google announced the launch of its first stable release of the UI toolkit known as Flutter. The company describes the system as a way to build ‘beautiful, native experiences’ for both iOS and Android systems using a single codebase.

While this does not replace the traditional way of creating apps for the two operating systems, it is an engine that can be added to an existing app or used in a completely new one. Google said that Flutter’s set of widgets would ensure a “pixel-perfect experience” on both OSs, ensuring designers are able to achieve their vision without having to “water it down” due to any limitations.

The key benefits of Flutter were highlighted in comments from Capital One’s senior director of engineering Michael Jones, who said the service would mean the company can now think about features “not in an ‘iOS or Android-first’ fashion, but rather in a true mobile-first model”.

Exciting new development

The release of Flutter is an exciting development which could change the game for everyone involved in mobile marketing, with hopes being high that it will make it easier for developers to create apps for both iOS and Android.

While the two biggest mobile operating systems in the world have fundamental differences, Google’s new toolkit has arguably brought them closer than they have ever been before.

The post How Flutter Looks Set to Transform Android and iOS App Development appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

And it’s a big Android success story.

The Android operating system captured a record 88 percent global marketshare, squeezing Apple iOS and others, the report summary notes.

Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, says global smartphone shipments grew 6 percent annually from 354.2 million units in Q3 2015 to 375.4 million in Q3 2016.

“This was the smartphone industry’s fastest growth rate for a year,” Sui writes. “Modest smartphone regrowth is being supported by emerging markets with relatively low smartphone penetration across Asia and Africa Middle East, particularly countries such as India and South Africa.”

“Android’s domination of global smartphone shipments remained strong in Q3 2016, with a record 88 percent of all smartphones now running Google’s OS,” adds Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics. “Android’s gain came at the expense of every major rival platform. Apple iOS lost ground to Android and dipped to 12 percent share worldwide in Q3 2016, due to a lackluster performance in China and Africa. BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows Phone have all but disappeared due to strategic shifts, while Tizen and other emerging platforms softened as a result of limited product portfolios and modest developer support.”

The post Strategy Analytics Sees Global Android Smartphone Shipment Surge appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Reporting key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry for December 2015, comScore says the dominance of iOS and Android once again told the whole story while Facebook ranked as the top individual smartphone app.

But the really interesting facts of note involve the smartphone OEM Market Share.

197.4 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (79.3 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in December.

Apple ranked as the top OEM with 42.9 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers. Samsung ranked second with 28.4 percent market share (up 0.8 percentage points from September), followed by LG with 9.9 percent (up 0.5 percentage points), Motorola with 5.3 percent (up 0.5 percentage points) and HTC with 3.3 percent.

Android ranked as the top smartphone platform in December with 53.3 percent market share (up 1 percentage point from September), followed by Apple with 42.9 percent, Microsoft with 2.9 percent and BlackBerry with 0.9 percent.

To learn more, check out comScore’s announcement here.

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But things may be changing. This year, those Black Friday shoppers stayed on the couch instead of getting behind the wheel.

“Mobile shopping accounted for well over a third of all online shopping on Black Friday 2015 in the U.S., some 36.1 percent according to e-commerce analytics firm Custora,” reports Forbes. “That’s up from 30.3 percent last year. Keeping with the longstanding trend for mobile commerce, the vast majority of those mobile customers were also iPhone users.”

Reportedly, 77 .6 percent of all orders made on mobile devices took place on iPhones or iPads, while only 22.1 percent were placed via Android devices.

“The good news for Android is that its share of the pie is up slightly from 19.5 percent of orders last year,” noted Forbes.

Google may lament that Apple mobile devices are in the lead for the buying of goods and services (despite Android’s dominance of global market share for smartphone platforms).

But — “iOS is for selling product, and Android is for advertising,” suggests Forbes contributor Ayo Omojola.

In short, mobile is making inroads — the kind that could turn the classic definition of Black Friday on its head.

And what about sales?

“In retail stores, sales on Black Friday dropped to $10.4 billion this year from $11.6 billion last year, according to shopping analytics firm ShopperTrack,” according to Forbes.

The post Black Friday Stampede? Maybe — But On Mobile appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The update, we’re told, features a significant improvement of the Android video broadcasting capabilities, allowing users to enjoy improved connection stability as well as certain broadcast features that were previously unavailable for Android – such as the ability to flip between the front-facing and rear-facing camera mid broadcast.

The update also contains several artistic and stylized live broadcast filters – allowing Android users to modify the look of their broadcasts on the fly.

“The Hang w/ app connects users through interactive live-streaming video, allowing anyone with an iPhone, iPad, Android device or desktop computer to broadcast live to a potential audience of millions of viewers around the globe,” a provided statement reads.

So when can you get the app? Right now. The Hang w/ app is free and available for download on the Apple App Store and on Google Play by clicking www.hangwith.me.

The post Hang w/ Touts ‘Powerful Live Streaming Update’ for Android appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The smartwatch, we’re told, is engineered with Intel technology and benefits from “everything the Android Wear universe has to offer.”

It will retail for $1,500.

The TAG Heuer Connected Watch with Intel Inside was revealed at a press conference at the symbolic LVMH Tower hosted by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the LVMH Group’s Watches Division, accompanied by Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corporation, and David Singleton, VP of Engineering for Android at Google.

“We are incredibly proud to be unveiling the first connected watch, which brings more than 150 years of history firmly into the future,” Biver says. “The TAG Heuer Connected watch gives you the means not only to connect to the future, but also to connect to eternity.”

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“Android has 1.4 billion monthly active users on its smartphones and tablets thanks to its enormous selection and ability to appeal to numerous segments of the smartphone consumer market,” reports BusinessInsider this week.

The problem? Perhaps an age-old one: with proliferation come vulnerabilities.

“Due to its open-source variants, the Android ecosystem is highly fragmented, which presents numerous issues in terms of security and app development,” according to BusinessInsider. “As key smartphone markets shift from developed regions like the U.S. and China to emerging markets like India and Brazil, Google will try to maintain its control of Android via its Android One project, while third-party vendors will push regionalized versions of Android to better cater to new consumer markets.”

In fact, a new report from BI Intelligence sizes up the current Android platform and examines its greatest opportunities and challenges in key markets.

“We also explore the effects of fragmentation on Android, the limitations it presents to growing segments of the Android ecosystem, such as Android Wear and Android Pay, and discuss how its massive growth is presenting challenges to mobile advertisers and app developers looking to reach Android’s large user base,” notes BusinessInsider.

Some pressing issues?

“Fragmentation is the platform’s greatest challenge. One-third of consumers with Android devices are still using versions of the platform released in 2012 or earlier. The lack of a cohesive platform complicates app and security development.”

The full report is now available. To learn more, click here.

The post Android May Be World’s Monster Mobile Platform, But Issues Could Hurt Future Success appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

For starters, the marketing and data collection process should change quite a bit.

“In the past, developers were able to collect a large amount of data from each person who chose to download their app,” reports Digital Journal. “This was used in a wide variety of ways, and it was difficult for consumers to opt out of sharing certain personal details.”

Now the formula will be turned on its head.

“One of the biggest changes that consumers can expect is the ability to filter out apps based on the type of data that they require,” explains DJ’s Holly Walters. “In other words, if you do not want an app to immediately gain access to your contact list, you will be able to refuse those that have this requirement. This more refined level of user permissions is virtually certain to make most consumers more comfortable with the idea of owning an Android device.”

According to the report, yet another change is that users will be able to individually select the type of data that they are willing to share with each app before they download them.

“This is similar to the Facebook setup that allows people to edit the data they want to share before accepting the terms for each app,” according to Walters. “Before the M update, sharing data was all or nothing, and users had to make a choice between not downloading an app and providing every requested piece of information.”

One thing’s for certain: developers will have to adopt a more transparent approach with users.

“For example, developers are being encouraged to list the data they want to collect on each app’s download page, along with their reasoning for requesting this information,” Walters notes. “This will make it easier for consumers to determine if they believe it is necessary and acceptable to exchange personal data for access to a new app.”

Walters notes that this customer-friendly privacy feature has been long enjoyed by iOS users, but not Android owners.

“Now the question that is inevitably on the mind of every Apple and Android executive is whether or not the M update will tip the scales back in Android’s favor,” Walters muses.

The post Android M Update Means More Transparency, More Privacy for Users appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Well, duh.

How do we think ad blockers make any money? Good samaritans are out there — but they seldom work in digital tech, just sayin’ …

Now comes this news: “The new ad blocker support Apple introduced in its mobile Safari web browser in iOS 9 is causing quite a stir,” reports BGR. “Publishers are up in arms, worried that users will adopt mobile ad blockers en masse and poke huge holes in their revenue streams. Meanwhile, just one day after Apple released iOS 9 to the public on Wednesday, several ad blocker plug-ins have indeed shot up the charts in Apple’s iOS App Store.”

Is it fair to offer an ad blocker that only blocks the marketers that don’t cough up? Or does it start to look like a mafia-inspired protection game?

“Regardless of which side of the debate you stand on, there’s one thing we can probably all agree on: What AdBlock Plus is doing — if, and only if recent accusations turn out to be true — is both unethical and deplorable,” contends BGR.

The kerfuffle is this, notes BGR: “According to a (recent) report published by French blog Info iGen, AdBlock Plus has found a sinister way to profit from Apple’s new ad blocking feature in iOS 9.”

How does THAT work?

“AdBlock Plus has a monetization strategy it calls “Acceptable Ads.” The scheme allows AdBlock partners to serve white list ads that the AdBlock Plus plug-in, by default, will not block on computers or mobile devices even while the plug-in is running,” explains BGR. “As a result, users will still see these ads even if they believe all ads are being blocked, and AdBlock Plus will enjoy a cut of the revenue.”

Holy moly. But did we not … kinda … know this?

And get this: AdBlock is paying monthly fees of as much as $5,600 to companies that do not block ads on the AdBlock Plus “Acceptable Ads” white list.

Here we’ll just give you the skinny from BGR: “Here’s where things get particularly interesting: this would be an incredibly easy report to deny, but Eyeo has declined several opportunities to deny it. Instead, the company would only say that the report is “not entirely correct.” What does that mean? Does it mean Eyeo is paying other ad blocking companies $6,000 per month and not $5,600?”

We’ll keep following this, of course. In the meantime, some things remain ever true: no company does work for nothing, out of the goodness of its heart (let us know if you disagree and can nominate one). The other true thing? Things become clearer whenever you follow the money.

Happy ad blocking … maybe.

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