Though Android device sales are far above in the sales category compared to iOS-run ones, the Google Play store lags behind by a whopping 80% in the third quarter of 2015 compared to Apple’s App Store. This is according to the analytics and revenue-tracking application App Annie.
It is a surprising development, given that Google Play enjoys 90% more downloads than the App Store – an increase from the 85% lead it enjoyed in the first three months of the current year.
Big countries, small revenue
Android devices are owned by more people, but the quantity of users is not much of a factor in this case. This is considering that Android devices are mainly big in countries like Brazil, India, and Indonesia. These places may be Android phone hot spots, but they only generate minimal app revenue.
Only smaller yet more developed countries, especially those in east Asia like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea gobbles the lion’s share of Google Play sales.
This is in complete contrast to the App Store: larger countries tend to give more sales. Here’s an in-depth graph by App Annie:
Note the disparity – four countries listed in the Android top download list aren’t part of the top countries by revenue one – only the United States is in there. In the app store lists, four countries are in the top five in both revenue and number of sales.
The Chinese and Indian market
Home to more than a billion people in the world, the China is the biggest market in the world. However, Google Play is losing out on it, considering that Google Play is banned in China. However, things may change for the better soon, given there are reports of it entering the Chinese market began to surface.
Meanwhile, Apple is enjoying a lot of attention in China. Not only is it a big market for the iPhone, it is first in the volume of downloads in the App Store, while being second in terms of revenue. Take note that the Chinese market played a vital role in making the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus create a 13-million opening weekend sales record.
India also has a population exceeding a billion, making it a huge market like China. The South Asian country is 3rd in terms of downloads, meaning, Android has already built a large consumer base there. If Google continues its growth in India, we might see an increase in revenue for the Mountain View-based company. The rise in Google Play in India downloads can be accredited to the rise of social media and messaging apps, like Facebook and WhatsApp.
Apple’s presence in more developed countries like the United States, Japan, Australia and Great Britain is putting the company ahead in terms of sales. Note that given the high standards of living, people in these countries can spare more money in mobile apps.
Currently Apple takes most of its app revenue from games, something that the company never expected. It is always common to see mobile games sitting on top of Apple’s sales charts.
