The second quarter results for both stores were published recently by noted analysts App Annie. The sharp increase in downloads from Google Play can be attributed to Android’s expansion into developing countries, allowing more people than ever to use a smartphone for the first time.
Android continues to lead in South American and Central Asian countries. Brazil, India, Mexico and Vietnam in particular have fuelled the expansion of the store.
However, this metric alone cannot be used to gauge the success of a download platform. Revenue must also be considered, an area that Apple continues to dominate, suggesting that iOS users are more likely to splash out on premium apps.
Apple has a 45 per cent lead over Google in revenue, helped by its strong presence in market-leading countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China and Japan. The U.S. was the top country for revenue for Apple while Japan proved best for Google. Chinese users downloaded the most iOS apps overall in Q2 while people from the U.S. were most active on Google Play.
Games remained the most downloaded apps in both stores. The category also produced the most revenue. The demand for video streaming apps has continued to grow in all markets though, bumping the entertainment category to fourth position for revenue on iOS.
Interestingly, App Annie’s report reveals that iOS and Android users do different things with their phones. Discounting games, Apple customers were most prone to entertainment and music, while their Android counterparts preferred to be more sociable.
The report is an interesting insight into the trends in mobile usage around us. As more and more people jump onto the Android bandwagon in developing countries, the Play Store continues to grow. However, despite its 85% lead over the App Store, it still struggles to produce revenue when faced with Apple’s dominance in Western markets.
