07 Aug 2009
An analysis of the mobile application market has found that the majority of sales on the iPhone are for games, while Android users are buying more tools and applications.
The App Store and Android Market research (PDF), carried out by analyst firm Distimo, found that nine out of the top 15 applications purchased on the iPhone were games, while not one made the Android top 15. However, this meant that the average price of Android applications was above that of the iPhone.
This pattern was mirrored when it came to free applications. Games made up a third of the iPhone's most popular downloads, compared to none for the Android.
However, the results suggest that Apple's policy of banning certain types of software seems to be having a negative effect on some sales.
"Classic games on Android Market are more popular than in the Apple App Store, with even three out of the 15 most popular games for Android being emulators," the report said. "These types of emulators are not allowed in the Apple App Store."
The report seems to imply that developers are splitting to suit their markets. The more popular iPhone platform is being used to sell consumer products, while reference tools and business applications are being developed for the Android platform.
Latest stories from Communications
Related videos
Related articles
Related jobs
Poll
Are you confident that the UK's IT infrastructure is secure from attack in the wake of the Flame malware revelations?
V3 examines the key strengths and weaknesses of Samsung's latest iPhone killer
Connect with V3.co.uk
Social networking is almost ubiquitous. This white paper examines the benefits and risks and it looks at the different ways companies can reconcile them
The importance of understanding your infrastructure
Contract Systems Administrator, Southampton My...
PHP Web Developer required to join my market-leading...
Java Developer x2, Spring, Hibernate, Swindon, £40K...
As part of a major implementation of a new inventory...
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies. IThound.com brings you over 2,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
Do you agree?
Talk numbers not positions!
It'd be interesting to know the total quantity of the best selling application on each device. The iPhone business app's might not appear in the top 15 but they could still rival the Android ones for numbers sold!
Posted by: Ian 07 Aug 2009
Andoid is the Tech savi phone
Just brought my HTC hero, leaps ahead of the i-phone, the only poor thing Android has against apple is marketing.
Posted by: JW 07 Aug 2009
It's all about functionality
People are buying apps for Android just to get close to the functionality of the built in apps on the iPhone. iPhone users have got everything so sorted they have the time to play games too! ;-)
Posted by: Fred 07 Aug 2009
Well duh...
I could have told you this without "doing a report". Are there even 15 games on the android market!? Certainly not 15 worth having.
Posted by: Richy 07 Aug 2009
a very slanted article
a very slanted article suggesting that the Android platform is better suited to business than the iPhone and that the iPhone is more of a game platform. I'd like to add 'how stupid do you think we are?' but the vast majority will just eat this up as fact.
Posted by: John D 07 Aug 2009
Apps sell on Android, games on iPhone
iPhone apps all style over content.. tend to be slow and Apple is rapidly becoming a bunch of control freak nazis... took them three goes to get cut and paste into their house brick of a sh**e phone... call quality and connections totally crap... and the less we say about Google Voice and exploding iPhone batteries the better ... don't want a visit from the Apple suits!
Posted by: JDNelson 07 Aug 2009
Android games are terrible
I have an iphone and my girlfriend has a G1 Android. the games are absolutely terrible on the android market, not even worth a free download. while iphone games rival the PSP. i dont think that the android is more popular for business apps i think its more of a case that there is nothing else to download. i do have to say that the customizable features on the android are nice and thats mainly what my girlfriend downloads nice themes etc.. all in all android market and app store no comparison.
Posted by: Cornelius 07 Aug 2009