Mobile games dominate app stores

We knew this all already, but here's further evidence from Nielsen that mobile games dominate the app space. Users are more likely to download a game app over any other and are also more likely to pay for them.

Source: Mashable

UK mobile app market worth £280m in 2010

Mobile stats specialists Research2Guideance have released figures that the UK app market was worth £280m in 2010. Here are the headline figures.

• The UK accounts for around 8% of the global app market
• 860m apps were downloaded in the UK in 2010
• Free apps accounted for 757m of the total, around 88%
• Paid apps accounted for 105m of the total, around 12% 

Unfortunately, you don't get the full report unless you're able to pay them a heap of money, so I don't have any more detail. However, one interesting additional piece of information that they tease you with is that females are adopting smartphones at a faster rate than men in the UK now. Research2Guideance claim that the number of women who own smartphones will be equal to that of men by the end of 2011.
Source: Research2Guideance

Popcap survey reveals smartphone owners are avid gamers

PopCap games, the Seattle based developer of infuriatingly addictive games like Peggle and Bejweled, have published survey results which demonstrate just how much impact smartphones are having on how consumers game. In a nutshell, if you have a smartphone you're a downloading and playing a lot of game apps. Here are some interesting observations that I pulled from Popcap's survey.

Smartphone owners are avid gamers
The Popcap survey revealed that 84% of mobile phone gamers who own a smartphone have played a game in the last week, which apparently qualifies you as an avid gamer. Smartphone owners also admitted to playing more games than last year, with 63% having increased their gaming in 2010. In fact, 68% of smartphone owners claimed that gaming was now part of their daily lives.


Consoles are no longer the gaming platform of choice
Some scary results for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft here. When asked which gaming device they play games on most often, 44% of those surveyed said their phones, compared with 21% for consoles and 30% for computers. Smartphone owners were even more likely to pick up their iOS or Android device to game than their consoles, with 55% of them playing games on their phones as a first preference.

Personally, I think that the results for consoles should be tempered by two points. Firstly, the survey only included mobile gamers, so they of course would be more likely to play games on their phones as a first choice. Secondly, I'd like to have more information on the amount of time people where spending on gaming on their phones. Instinctively, feel that smartphone gaming is still all about short bursts of entertainment where console gamers will spend many more hours on these devices, playing much deeper and challenging games, with friends online. I can't imagine that we're all going to throw out our consoles anytime soon.

Smartphone owners are converting from free to paid
As an app publisher, I was excited by the news that smartphone owners are converting from free apps to paid content. In total, 49% of smartphone gamers said that they'd upgraded a free trial game to the full paid version in the last year. In addition, 34% of smartphone gamers said that they had paid for additional content for an originally free game in the past year.

For any developer or publisher considering a freemium model for their app these results are especially encouraging. You would expect freemium to paid content conversion to be a lot higher for games, but 34% is more than I expected.  

Sources: Popcap Survey PDF & Popcap Survey press release

HTML5 vs Native Apps: Google Debate

I get asked quite often whether HTML5 is going to mean the end to apps. Normally, I respond that this isn't a clear cut answer, because different tech giants want different things for the future. One can imagine Google wanting a browser only future, but apps are so important to Apple that you can't believe they'd abandon a model that is earning so much revenue for them.

What do the experts think? Well, Google's Reto Meier and Michael Mahemoff recently debated HTML5 or Native for Mobile Development? at the Google Developer Day in Prague.

UsTwo's Grallery app makes my mobile into a work of art

I can't tell you how impressed and excited I am to discover an app called Grallery, by creative app pioneers usTwo. They've turned my HTC Desire into a work of art.

  

How Grallery works

Grallery is a satellite app for usTwo's wallpaper creation tool for iPad, Granimator.  Artists create wallpapers on the iPad app and Grallery becomes a distribution tool for their work.  Grallery has a really simple, but beautiful and addictive, tile interface for browsing the available wallpapers. I'd also like to mention the fantastic interaction sounds that the app makes use of, a satisfying click whenever you select an image. After about 10 minutes of deliberation, I finally selected a wallpaper for my phone and I know I'll be updating it constantly.

Collaborative media potential

I think that the collaborative relationship that usTwo have created between two apps is a hint towards the future of digital creation and distribution. Developers should think more about apps that have a symbiotic relationship with each other. Granimator is the app for professionals, while Grallery brings it to the masses. I'd love to see this kind tool developed for authors and filmmakers.

My top 10 Android apps

1. Angry Birds
Lives up to the hype. Very addictive. Beautifully simple game play.

2. Kindle for Android
It's easier reading books on your phone than you might think. I read the entire Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest ebook on my Desire and enjoyed even page. Very cheap books.

3. Aldiko
Brilliant for free books and a really nice library system for storing them. All of my Cory Doctrow reading is done here.

4. Engadget
The gadget kings have the quality app you would expect. Addictive.

5. Pulse
I've posted before about how good this app is. A truly beautiful way of browsing your RSS feeds. It also caches a lot of data, so works nicely on the tube.

6. TweetDeck
 Combines your Twitter, Facebook, Buzz and Foursquare accounts together brilliantly.

7. AppAware
How do you find new apps in the clunky Android Market? AppAware is how.

8. Robot13
Fantastic free comic reader. The comic itself isn't bad either.

9. Galcon
Practice your Adama moves in this old school space strategy game.

10. Watchdog
How do you know which apps are behaving badly on your phone and draining resources? The Watchdog will keep an eye on them for you.

Droidcon Day 2: Does Android have a dude problem?

Day 2 at Droidcon was a more traditional conference, with presentations and guest speakers.

She's in the 5%

Does Android have a dude problem?
Lady Geek's Belinda Parmar made a compelling case that Android is failing to get its message across to women. Quoting a report from UGov, Parmar pointed out that 57% of women admit to wanting an iPhone as their next mobile, but only 5% want an Android phone. Why can't the green robot communicate with women?

Google doesn't tell a consistent story like Apple.
Steve Jobs didn't found Pixar for nothing, he is a beautiful and compelling storyteller.  Apple created the app and tablet revolution by telling consumers stories about how these products will benefit their lives. Watch any Apple commercial and you can't fail to get the message, apps are fun and magical. Steve Job's introduction of the iPad is text book storytelling, he explains the "extraordinary" things the device does and why it is better than the devices it replaces.

Compare Apple's approach to the way Google market Android. Oh wait, they don't market Android at all.

Phone manufacturers can't be trusted to do advertising
Instead Google leave it to mobile phone manufacturers to promote Android, which results in adverts like this.



Now the Droid may have been a massive success for Motorola and the ad campaign must have worked, but it doesn't explain the benefits of Android and it alienates women. I've noticed that female responses to Android tend to be that it is geeky, that the phones are masculine or that they don't know what it is at all. Google really should start promoting the Android brand, as the phone manufacturers aren't going to do it for them.

Android is geeky
The girls are right you know, Android is very geeky. As an Android fanboy, I realise that we're too obsessed with phone specs and hardware. But that little robot is very cool as well. Look at some of the ways that Android's community use and re-brand him. He could do a great job explaining what Android is all about and we should help him. It is about openness, apps and phones that make us truly connected to the internet and help solve our problems.

Women want apps to solve problems
Belinda Parmar explained that although women love the iPhone, the majority who buy one don't actually then buy any apps. Those who do, buy apps that help them solve problems and are useful, as opposed to entertainment apps like games and books.

Android Market doesn't make it easy for non-geeks to buy apps
I know that I drone on about this a lot, but Android Market isn't exactly making it easy for people to buy apps. Until Google sorts out a one-click purchasing solution for the Market, women (and men who aren't geeky enough to figure out how to set up an account on Google Checkout) will continue not to purchase from it.

Google and phone manufacturers should work out how to reach women, because they're missing out on £0.6bn in revenue
Is that not reason enough to start marketing the platform properly to women?

Droidcon Day 1: Earning money from apps in Android Market

The first day at Droidcon was a barcamp in which the community proposed talks and presentations were free-styled. There were some common themes that emerged, here's one of them.



It's tougher to make money selling apps than you think
Forget the hype, the truth is that it's actually very difficult for developers to make serious money selling apps, unless you're a game. The average iPhone app earns around $6000 over a two year period for its developer. With its bias towards free apps and high barrier to first purchase (Google Checkout), Android is even tougher. Apps featured on the Android Market homepage generally earn around $400 per day.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Some apps are doing very well and generating serious money for their developers, especially games. Developers are increasingly looking at innovative ways to generate revenue from their apps. Here are two such methods:

Freemium
When Rovio came to publish Angry Birds on the Android platform they decided not to charge for the app, but to include advertising within the game. Angry Birds sells for 99p on iTunes (at time of writing), so we're not talking about a high price point here. The strategy worked, with Angry Birds receiving 1m downloads on Android on day after release. Some estimate that it might now be up to 10m downloads on Android.

Location based ads
Currently, only Google makes money out of Maps. How can developers make money from location apps? CloudMade have created a location-based advertising platform, which replaces Google Maps and will deliver advertising to any application that uses it.

Droidcon London

I'm immersing myself in all things Android app at Droidcon over the next two days. The handy schedule on the Droidcon app has helped me put together the following highlights.

Create killer location apps

Excellence in Android app experience

Best of UK mobile business

Android had a dude problem

Turn good ideas into great apps

The economics of apps

I'll blog notes from each presentation.

Let's carousel - Alphonso Lab's Pulse app is a great way to organise your favourite feeds

More apps should help us to organise the content that we like from the web. Pulse is a fantastic app that displays stories from your favourite feeds in an innovative and engaging way. Why download apps for each individual blog or website that you enjoy when one app can take care of it all for you?

I like
The image driven story carousels are a great way to organise a large amount of content on my HTC Desire's small screen.  Swiping to rotate the stories has me immediately engaged and discovering information.

Very simple, but strong user journey. Tapping a story takes me immediately into a detailed, but easy to read content page. The carousel related to the particular website or blog that I'm browsing also remains at the bottom of the screen, encouraging me to discover new stories.

Great social media integration. I'm only ever a touch away from sharing stories with my Twitter followers or Facebook friends.

Works very well offline. The majority of the content on Pulse seems to be cached, so you can happily browse through stories on the tube.

Don't like
Limited amount of recommended content when setting up feeds.

It would be fantastic if Pulse recommended other feeds and stories to you, based on what other users where looking at or sharing.



Download Pulse from Alphonso Labs now

Android Market hits the 100,000 app mark

Engadget are reporting that the Android Market has now reached 100K apps. Whilst this is still miles behind the Apple App Store, it still feels like a another significant milestone for the platform. Now, if only Google would make it easier for users to buy apps.

How Google can improve Android Market and sell more apps

Android Market is a bohemian dream. I love the chaotic and multi-cultural feel to the Android app store. There's something very cool about not being censored, being able to see Japanese apps that I can't understand and having to work out how to buy apps myself. The early adopter thing was part of my reason for going with this platform in the first place.

However, that freedom comes at a cost. There are elements of Android Market that really annoy me and I think are holding it back. At a time when Android is surging ahead of the competition in terms of phone sales, the app store has some serious flaws that Google needs to address.

1. No one-touch payment
This is a big barrier to selling apps. Google seems to be making it as difficult as possible for consumers to actually buy apps from them. The only option to buy apps is Google Checkout, which requires users to give their credit card details directly to Google in order to be able to make purchases. When will the introduce billing via carriers? No wonder Amazon are starting their own Android app store.

2. Full refund for 24 hours after purchase
This is wonderful for the consumer, but terrible for app developers and content owners. I can understand that Google don't want to police the Android Market. However, forcing developers to refund paid for apps within 24 hours of purchasing is a bad economic model for someone trying to sell apps. Apps with limited lifespans, such as comic book apps that I read once and then forget about, can simply be downloaded by users and then uninstalled at the end of the day, for a free refund.

Why don't Google take a more flexible approach to the refund and allow developers to alter the terms of the refund? Users will of course be more wary of purchasing apps, but then it's up to the developers to establish a good reputation.

3. App discovery
It's very difficult to discover apps within the Android Market. How ridiculous is it that I have to use an app, called AppAware, to find new apps to download. Okay, so iTunes is just as bad, maybe worse, but that's no excuse for not seriously trying to improve user experience within Android Market. There must be a better way of exploring apps other than, popular, featured and new. Google could do worse than take a look at the AppAware approach. Last FM emerged because no one could discover music on iTunes, so I guess similar services will start appearing for apps as well.

4. No moderation
I hate censorship. I don't like the way Apple decides what people can and cannot see on iTunes. However, Apple users do benefit from being protected from exploitation, because Apple cares about the apps that appear in its store. Google's hands off approach to Android Market means that Android phone users can be exploited by phishing apps and other evil applications. Given the recent stories about how unscrupulous developers are collecting personal data from Apple and Android users, Google needs to look at how they can combat these kind of apps, without losing the bohemian appeal of Android.