Apple is about to be ousted as the world's most popular platform for 'apps' – applications that run on smartphones and tablets – to Google's Android, which is rapidly closing the gap in terms of both downloads and, in part, of revenue generated.
According to the Financial Times, Apple has so far used its hegemonic presence in the app segment to maintain a competitive edge over rivals in the smartphone market, but the run by Google, which recently bought Motorola Mobility, has been fueled by the success of the devices Samsung furniture.
The Cupertino-based company announced that 50 billion apps were downloaded last month on its iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices, with an offer that reaches the 850.000 apps available in its dedicated store. In the same period, Google reports that 48 billion apps have been downloaded on Android supports. But the growth rate of downloads on the Play Store, Google's virtual store, is so much higher than that of its rival App Store that Horace Dediu, a researcher at the company Asymco Analysis, goes so far as to predict that the Mountain View house will overtake damage to the home of the apple just in the coming months, and this is for the total number of downloads and apps available.
As for revenue from apps generated, once again the status quo seems to be being redefined. Until now, app developers were making more money by making their work available on the App Store than on Google Play. But this is no longer true at all, explains Distimo, a company specializing in statistics on the world of information technology. In support of the statement, its managing director Vincent Hoogstader cites applications such as Whatsapp Messenger, which in certain countries, such as Italy and Spain, collects more from the Android platform.
However, the revenue shift to Google Play may be noticeable for some developers, but it isn't for everyone. Distimo reports that in the US market, the top 200 apps on the Google Play Store grossed $1,1 million in the past month, compared to $5,1 million for the top 200 apps on the App Store.
Apple, which has so far sold 600 million iOS devices compared to 900 million Android, is preparing to counter by presenting its new operating system next week during the Worldwide Developer Forum in San Francisco.
