ANDROID VS. IPHONE APPLICATION MARKET SHARE
Mobile phone applications have become commonplace today, as new and more innovative applications are emerging on a daily basis. A mobile phone has become much more than a phone, as the functionality has widened to include so many more uses. They can range from magnifying glasses to recording of calories burned while exercising to more professional utilities that help the user in many ways. Independent developers have created the more than 50,000 applications that are part of The App Store, but these can be utilized exclusively for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Each of these software applications deals with a particular task.
Google entered the phone applications market in 2008, by creating the Android operating system for handsets. Google did not come out with any handsets, but HTC and Samsung introduced handsets that had the App Market of Google preinstalled in them. The iPhone and the Android have now become fierce competitors fighting for every inch of the consumer pie in the marketplace.
Close Contest
The battle between Apple and Google in the mobile space has been getting more and more frenzied, as the two giants try to win the mind game for more customers. In the year 2010, 31% of cell phone users in the USA were using smartphones. Sales figures showed that 32.9 million units of Android-based devices were sold compared to 16.24 million iPhones, in the last quarter of 2010. One fact that must be remembered is that Android has been a recent entrant into the mobile space, while iPhone has been around for some time. The market share for the same period revealed that Android had captured 32.9% while iPhone stood at 30.6%; these figures show that Android is fast becoming a very real competitor to the iconic iPhone.
Apps are Where it’s at
The operating system is obviously key to the success of any smartphone, but continued success and popularity in the marketplace depend on many other factors. The operating system must be developer-friendly, that is developers must be able to create applications for it and also find it rewarding. The market for applications is likely to cross $15 billion and downloads are expected to be in the region of 17.2 billion across the world. In this scenario, the iPhone app market would take the lead as it App Store has over 350,000 free and paid applications for the iPhone and iPad, while the Android has around 130,000. The iPhone app market is therefore marked for around $1 billion in sales, while the Android app sales would generate around $100 million. The Android market has however shown a 500% surge in the number of apps, while the App Store has registered just a 100% increase.
The Ultimate Conclusion
Both the Android and iPhone apps come in a wide variety of uses and functionality. The number of free apps differs substantially, as around 70% of Android apps are free while less than 1/3 of iPhone apps are free to download. Again, compatibility is a factor; while iPhone apps are compatible with all earlier devices, the Android scene is very disorganized. Where market presence is concerned, the iPhone can be bought in 90 countries, while Android devices are available in just 32. The continuing advances in technology, it is difficult to prophesy who would be the ultimate winner in the battle for mobile space in 2011. On current figures, Apple is the champion, but Android is very much in the race.