Google Play Store may have overtaken Apple App Store once and for all. The smartphone industry has two big players. Making a choice between Android and iOS could have an impact on usability and service. The evidence can be seen in the divide between the two markets. Both offer music, books, movies, TV series, and of course apps. However, Google Play may be pulling away as Apple App Store continues to have serious issues.
Apple App Store vs. Google Play
Once Apple launched their 3G iPhone in 2008, the Apple Store was born. It grew quick with 100 million downloads in just three months. By 2014, Apple reached 85 billion downloads and offered millions of apps. Now they have around 1.2 million iOS apps available. These are big numbers, but Google Play wasn’t worried. After rebranding, Google Play offered more Android apps and had 70 percent more app downloads than Apple by the beginning of 2015, according to the WSJ. This could be attributed to emerging markets around the world.
Smartphone Operating System Gap Decreases
The smartphone race is as close and unpredictable as the space race to Mars and the moon as of late. Apple is not having a good start to 2016, with sales lower than ever for iPhones. And the iPhone 7 launch is already taking hits over the lack of features rumored to come. The innovative tech the iPhone once offered is also becoming a more outsourced affair. From screen o glass casing, the iPhone appears to be buying innovation rather than creating it. This plays into favor for Google Play, since consumers are more apt to purchasing a smartphone with Android, rather than the exclusive iOS.
Crashes and Service Put Developers at Odds
The recent technical difficulties the Apple App Store has been experiencing has led to much discussion at the developer’s table. Keyword searches are not offering the right list and this may make developers lean more toward Google Play. It is not simply the unheard of apps either. Big names like Uber, Spotify, YouTube, and Google (not surprising) are just not getting listed appropriately. What is next for apps as Android clearly holds the title for now?
