Google is Really Disappointed with App Sales

[royalcrown]

I am making the jump to a droid powered phone unless the iphone 5 has a huge screen. I plan on buying some apps, but the problem is that MOST of the android apps SUCK. Even the ones that work usually low quality or half finished developer experiments. If there are more things like infinity blade (ios) for android, then ppl would buy.

As for fragmentation, I agree, however I think google is finally trying to raise the minimum hardware bar along with manufacturers and carriers. Carriers are giving some pretty powerful free phones away as free phones. Hell, my stepson's free optimus kicks the pants out of my gf $200.00 sprint moment that is 1 yr old.

 

[thrasher32]

Saw that one coming. Surprise: people who try to save money by not buying an iPhone, also save money by not purchasing apps

Nice superiority complex. I bought my Droid X because it was a better piece of hardware than the iPhone. In fact, when I bought mine, the Droid X was the same price (with contract) as the iPhone.

Apple BOOOOOOOOOO

 

[kartu]

Android phone owners don't buy apps like crapple slaves, what a surprise...

 

[donovant]

Andriod phone owners dont buy apps because they are tight fisted and most of the apps are crap or dont work, take a leaf of of apples book and vet what goes on the Marketplace and make sure it works on all models and OS versions, then if that happens you can belittle the Iphone as much as you like just because you dont like apple, not that the apple haters have ever used an iphone anyway, but still they know its crap lol.

 

[everygamer]

I think this comes down to 2 things, iTunes users are already comfortable with purchasing through that platform because they have been doing it for years with music. Also, Apple gives users a anonymous purchase method in that they can buy iTunes gift cards, load them up and not have to provide Apple with their credit card info directly (this is something my wife does).

Also, along with this the Android Marketplace has always needed some work.

I would like to point out that there is a growing opinion of Android app developers not thinking there is money in the market either, so they are releasing their apps free w/ built in adds. This could also contribute to the lack in sales. Angry Birds is a perfect example, here is a game that has the perfect positioning to sell in the Android market, but they chose to release their games for free w/ add without even trying to first sell the games. Most games have no word of mouth or popularity, and they are just sitting in the mix, Angry Birds was well known and to even non-apple users was becoming known. They had a name for themselves and didn't even try to sell their product on android. I have bought games on Android, I have spent $$, and I would have been willing to buy Angry Birds on the platform ... I kinda felt bad for them when they gave it to me for free

 

[masterbinky]

There's a reason all the apps are crap. It is because of the damn java and dalvik virtual machine. Java is not resource friendly but it's sooo easy to program in for amaturish crapapps. You need real control of the resources, with little overhead, and you would get nice polished apps on stuff with specs like the hero. There's a reason the android OS built from the ground in C/C++ and then (to put it into the equivalent of duplo blocks instead of legos) turned java in the UI and apps.

 

[DjEaZy]

[citation][nom]snoogins[/nom]/joke??[/citation]

... no joke... aPad SUX!!!

 

[royalcrown]

@ masterblinky: I am trying to actually learn Java as my first programming because the apps are junk and want to put up or shut up. Yeah it seems really slow and klunky to a non programmer power use like myself and takes a Galaxy S just to run it decently.

 

[masterbinky]

I'm not trying to bash Java itself, it is great for multiplatform use and it relatively easy to prorgam in, but you gotta have the resources to spare. I know a major reason it is used is the sandbox you get from a protected virtual machine, but the overhead is just too much if you don't want a device with dual core 1 GHz & 1gig ram to run a small app decently. If you don't want to handle alot of the nuances with memory management java is great, it has automatic garbage collection and will do it for you, no hunting down mem leaks. But that's the tradeoff, so it's stupid for Google to complain and then scratch their head wondering why the apps aren't doing well,when it chose to gimp it's apps for safety and ease of programming.

 

[rantoc]

Sure its a disapointment people don't like to do all compute needs on the phoones. Huge display, awesome performance and excellent imput/output /end-sarcasm!

 

[royalcrown]

well it's pretty stupid too of google and manufactures to sanction "low end phones" for android too. They don't have the horsepower and so apps don't run.

 

[masterbinky]

The problem is =(java + lower spec phones). Problem gone if you use either a C type language or beefier hardware. The Apple chose the former so the Iphone uses extended C for it's apps, so they will run better with less, period. That's why the ports from iOS to Android suck. I love android, but they damned themselves with this choice, and I know someone there had to have known better. It is just simply the wrong tool for the job.
http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Java_and_C%2B%2B#Performance

 

[Guest]

To my knowledge, to develop an iphone app you need an apple computer for xcode. The problem is that those apple computers cost lots of $$$ compared to PC's. The people that do buy Apples tend to have better jobs and know what they are doing. The know the apps they are developing targeted market. Android on the other hand can be developed by anyone (kids without a business knowledge). But then again you do have a bunch of applites who will buy 99 cent fart apps where android users tend to save their money for better things.

 

[Guest]

the problem is a lot more simplistic then platform and accessibility, apple or android or even windows 7 phone, it's all the same, there has yet to be released a killer app for the smart phone that screams you need to buy me to make your smart phone experience awesome, Google should be looking to encourage and sponsor innovative apps rather then seeing how they can make money from them.

for the love of all that's good someone make an app that makes my phone feel like a smart phone and not some over priced over glorified toy......

 

[szbxa]

[citation][nom]DjEaZy[/nom]... no joke... aPad SUX!!![/citation]
something you don't know is that you can't judge Android from the device on which it runs. Apple makes all the Apple devices, so you can judge apple based on their devices, but Android is just an operating system, like Windows, you can't blame Microsoft if you have a crappy computer, Android too, can't decide which device it would be installed on. the Apad is a extremely cheap and crappy immitation of the Ipad made by some small company in China, you can blame yourself for been so cheap and getting what you paid for.

 

[ap3x]

[citation][nom]Kryan[/nom]I personally think the market place works well enough. However, Google are being retarded by thinking they can earn money like Crapple with it, simply because of the already mentioned "open-source" thing...They just looked at apple and were like "ZOMG, look how much money they are making off their zombie followers!!!! We need to do that too!" ...problem is...Android has intelligent users, proven by the fact that their is almost always an alternative free/ad-based app around, which is then preferred to the paid one.[/citation]

Lol, you guys never cease to amaze me. Common theme here is that Apple users are not intelligent, they don't think about their purchase before they make it, they just follow Apple for no apparent reason. Funny how also these people have the disposable capital to purchase thing their products.

Cmon on bro, sooner or later you guys will get to the point where you just say "I really like my android device, but apple has done a good job with their stuff and people seem to like them as well". It is a freaken smart phone for god sakes. There is nothing about a phone that implies any level of intelligence. Pick what works best for you and be happy with it, if your not happy with it replace it.

 

[mdillenbeck]

Why I don't buy apps:

1) There are plenty of free (or ad supported) alternatives for the apps I use.

2) They reduced the return period to 15 minutes. For some apps, even 24 hours is not sufficient for testing out if the app will work appropriately.

3) Lack of trial editions for the more expensive software

4) Lack of ability to browse/compare/search for apps on the comfortable big screen of my computer. Really, how much time could I waste at work app shopping if it wasn't only through my phone.

5) Lack of easy-billing options such as billing integrated into the carrier charges (such as the system for buying ringtones and such).

6) If I find something I really really like and it is a paid app, there is a good chance I will have the option to buy direct from the vendor... and will.

 

[zerapio]

[citation][nom]DjEaZy[/nom]... no joke... aPad SUX!!![/citation]
And apparently spelling too?

 

[thrasher32]

Common theme here is that Apple users are not intelligent, they don't think about their purchase before they make it

I wouldn't say they're necessarily untintelligent, maybe uninformed or ignorant, or possibly they just have so much money they can afford to waste it on overpriced inferior products...

 

[tommysch]

[citation][nom]scook9[/nom]Welcome to the world of "open source"hahaWhy pay for something you can get for free?[/citation]

Is that supposed to be a bad thing? I mean, ZOMG those poor people developing life saving fart apps wont be able to buy a new Ferrari this year...