iPhone vs Everyone Else: The Apps Trap

My First (not so) Smartphone
A couple of years ago, I bought the Blackberry Storm 9530 (the first one). It was ok, even snappy... until I downloaded more than 2 apps on it. Apparently it wasn’t designed to hold very many apps (like 3, boo).

Let’s Go Shopping!
I’ll spare you the laundry list of problems with my Blackberry. The point is, I have been making due with this neglected stepchild of RIM’s for over 2 years. I have been uncharacteristically restrained and fiscally responsible. And now I am due for a phone upgrade! Lucky for me, the Droid Bionic, and possibly the Samsung Galaxy S2 will be out shortly (rumor has it, August/September).

But If You Don’t Have An iPhone...
But some would say I should wait for the iPhone 5. After all, Apple’s “App Store” has over 500,000 apps in it. But what does that mean? Am I going to download 500,000 apps? Probably not.

What’s In An App?
So what is important about these apps then? 500k is an impressive number, but less impressive without context. How many USEFUL apps are available? I don’t have need for 300 apps that make fart noises. How many of these apps are “I gotta have this, can’t live without it” good?

And if I went with an Android device, how many of these apps would I have to do without? So far, my experience has been that all the best app developers publish for Android at the same time, or very near at the same time as iOS. Rare indeed are apps I would call truly useful that exist only on one of these platforms.

Integration Sensation
So another thing to consider is integration. I download apps to extend my the abilities of my device. One thing I have enjoyed, and use on a regular basis on my poor old Blackberry is the send/share feature: when I take a photo I can upload it directly to Facebook. This is a feature I love, and would miss. Unfortunately, in iOS you need to be in the Facebook app to do the same thing. It’s not as integrated an experience. When I take a photo on an Android device, just like my BB, I have the option of sharing via multiple services (depending on what I have installed). Each new app I install has the ability to extend my experience in a way that is just not available on iOS.

But The Walled Garden Keeps Out The Bums!
All iOS apps go through a stringent approval process. It doesn’t necessarily make them good apps, and is certainly no guarantee they are going to be useful. In addition, development in the iOS environment is subject to certain restrictions that actually REDUCE the quality of my experience. Amazon, Google, and Rhapsody (amongst others) have all recently removed buttons that would make purchasing content easier. The reason? If the button is going to stay, Apple requires a 30% cut of sales. The result? My experience is less integrated, less seamless.

The iOS development and submission process is a minefield of restrictions, many of which are strictly geared towards Apple protecting their share of my disposable income. Yes, there are more apps on iOS. Does that really matter? 

Big Numbers Are Impressive!
Android is claiming over 550,000 new activations per day. iOS is claiming just over 300,000 new activations per day.   Analysts predict iOS will hold between 18% and 16% by the end of 2011, while Android is expected to have captured easily double that. 

Developers tend to go where the audience is. I am not saying iOS is in danger of becoming obsolete... but as a Developer I might look at where I can get the widest adoption and develop for that platform first.

The Next Two Years
2 years is an eternity in mobile tech. That said, I am hoping to live happily with my next phone for 2 years. During that time, I think the App landscape will change radically. Mainly, general focus and favor will shift from iOS to Android. My next phone will be a Bionic. Or Samsung Galaxy S2...

Comments

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