Based on a sample size of over 2,000 live applications and over 200 million user sessions tracked each month across iPhone, iPod Touch, Google Android, Blackberry and JavaME platforms, Flurry compiled a map of how many apps do we use how often for how long.
How often do we use what kinds of apps for how long?
Even although they omitted photography as one of the 19 categories they researched, this is still very interesting data. While this proves that apps like iFart wear out pretty quickly, I’d have thought that Social Networking apps would have been used more often. And while I agree with the frequent use of Books apps, I cannot really believe that people do not keep around Book reading apps for long, even although it is not that easy to read on mobile phones.
As to photography, my guess would be that it is similar to Navigation. But I might be totally wrong here…
Apple’s Music event today was interesting as much for what was said as for what was left out. But after a few hours of reflection, here’s my initial take on the impact of Apple’s announcements.
1. Apple will protect the iPhone franchise at all cost
Well, we did not get the most important announcement – the microphone in the new iPod Touch. Thus no video. But no camera at all? Unless Apple will release an out-of-cycle iPod Touch update due to the rumored manufacturing issues, the de-featuring of the new iPod Touch is a clear indication that Apple wants to protect its iPhone franchise at all cost. Apple was aware that a microphone would make it much easier for digeratis to use the iPod Touch as an “Ersatz” phone. Obviously, they were not willing to take the risk. And with no video, why incur the extra charge for a camera? Thanks, but we’d rather keep the money.
In fact, by looking at the OS 3.1 update, especially the peer-to-peer gaming feature, Apple seems to be positioning the iPod Touch more and more in the gaming space. Not surprising, but not totally understandable, either.
2. The iPad will not have a camera, either
While the iPad was neither announced (not surprisingly) nor mentioned, the continued de-featuring of the iPod Touch is a clear indication what not to expect in the iPad. For the same reasons as with the Touch, the iPad will not feature a microphone, either. No mic, no video and now we know, no camera. Frankly, I’m not sure, we would need a camera in the iPad, but we can now be sure we will not get one.
3. Developers scratching their heads
What’s this new iTunes feature allowing homes to share apps? I have not seen data indicating how many copies of an app a household buys on average, but if it is only 1.1, that is a 10% sales cut the developers just incurred. Thank you, Apple – first the approval mess and now you cost me sales as well? Even although the impact will probably be minimal, I’m sure developers are not happy about Home Sharing. But there’s some compensation for that, in the form of App Genius.
4. App Genius is genius – for Apple
Genius for Apps looks interesting, although I have not spent a lot of time with the new OS 3.1. Of course, it is Apple’s blatant attempt to get more cash from us through additional and better merchandizing. This must have developers smiling. We will see how good this will work, how much sales will increase and whether it will make up for lost sales due to home sharing. But it will boost the number of apps downloaded and also the number of apps sold – both important numbers to Apple’s Marketing machine. Not to mention additional revenue which they will gladly take.
What else do you think was really important in today’s event?
A few days ago, GigaOm published some pretty interesting numbers on the AppStore. Based on numbers from the AdMob mobile advertising network, among them were a $2.4b run-rate in revenue and various download numbers for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
As always, numbers got me thinking, so here are some thoughts on these numbers:
Is the AppStore really on a $2.4 billion run-rate?
Assuming $3/app or slightly under what a typical game sells for, it would be 800 million paid apps to be sold through the AppStore. Further assuming a 50:30 split between the iPhone and the iPod Touch (it might end up to be more like 50:40), it would mean 500 million paid apps for the iPhone and 300 million paid apps for the iPod Touch. Given that people get 7.6 free apps for every 2.6 paid apps on the iPhone, this would amount to 2 billion downloads on iPhones. For the iPod Touch, the factor is 8.4, or 2.8 billion apps for the iPod Touch, for an overall total of around 5 billion apps. In other words, the number of downloads would have to triple in the next 12 months. This is feasible.
Why do iPod Touch users download so many more free apps?
In two words: Games and demographics. The iPod Touch is making some serious in-road into the handheld gaming market, whereas the iPhone is used more like a phone or on-the-go mobile access device. In addition, iPod Touch users are significantly younger, which explains the difference in usage, since they are less likely to carry on-the-go helpers and business apps. Also, younger people have less discretionary money to spend on apps.
How users discover apps
I found this one the most surprising. I would have thought that recommendations from friends and colleagues would be #1 – instead, it is #3 for both the iPhone and the Touch. Searching for a specific app as #2 is expected, but browsing through the Top Rankings in the AppStore as the number one way to find downloadable apps is surprising (Marketeers, pay attention to this, because to you this means either clever Marketing or lowering your price). Also surprising is that there is not really that much of a difference between iPhones and iPod Touch’s – given the different demographics, I would have thought younger Touch users have other ways to find downloads compared to older iPhone users. Apparently, they don’t.
How do you find your apps?
This had to happen sooner or later and could develop into one of these very interesting stories that just might not go away. Contrary to the Google Voice saga which cost Apple some goodwill with technoratis, this one could cost Apple a ton of money.
Photographer Louis Psihoyos has filed a copyright lawsuit seeking $2 million from Apple, claiming one of his photographs was used without permission in an iPhone application. While the iPhone app is by i.TV (which claims to be insolvent), it was approved by Apple, thus the claim that Apple be liable.
I’m not a lawyer, but Apple better settle this one (and any future copycat lawsuit). The crux with this lawsuit is what I keep repeating on this blog: If you do not publish your rules of approval, it will come to haunt you. If Apple would have published how they approve and what they examine (and what not), this lawsuit would be a non-issue. But without that, someone did make the case that Apple is expected to check copyright violations. And right or wrong, a jury might just agree with Mr. Psihoyos.
If Apple were to loose this one, it would be the de-facto end of the AppStore, since Apple is neither technically, financially nor resource-wise able to enforce copyrights of every single app that is in the AppStore. Given that the AppStore is now selling at a run-rate of $2.4 billion, shutting down the AppStore would really hurt Apple.
There is much at stake here – too much for Apple to loose. If Apple ever publishes the rules for their approval, this lawsuit (and not the Google Voice hubbub) might go into history as to what prompted Apple to do so.
