Android Market sales sadly pathetic
By Will Park on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 6:13 PM PST In Android, Research
Larva Labs' daily sales numbers for August
Just the other day, we reported on AdMob’s estimation that the AppStore moved some $2.4 billion every year in iPhone app purchases. Developers have since come out against that estimation, saying that the number is grossly inflated. But, then, AdMob’s numbers for the Android Market are also likely inflated. Turns out, Android developers are seeing some really pathetic sales figures from the Android Market. One top-selling Android developer saw an average of $62 per day in Android Market sales for August 2009 – that’s not even enough to keep the lights on.
Even if AdMob’s $60 million per year figure is anywhere near accurate, Android developers aren’t seeing much in the way of compensation. And, if that number is inflated, those developers are having an even harder time turning a buck. Android developer Larva Labs has posted an analysis of Android application sales that indicates the Android market isn’t worth anywhere near $5M a month. It’s actually an interesting read that points out the fallacy in the mobile app store bonanza – many mobile app developers aren’t going to make any money from their apps.
So, if you’re a mobile applications developer, take note. First, you probably want to develop for the iPhone – as the iPhone userbase is more than twice as receptive to buying apps than Android users. Second, you should do away with any preconceived notion that your To-Do List application will make you rich quick. Third, check out Larva Labs’ blog post on the sad state of Android Market sales.
[Via: LarvaLabs]
thats hot much like my self
IPhone developers have said the same thing: only a very few of them make enough to live on. The 99 cent competition prevents it.
BNET.com has published an editorial decrying the blind rush to support Android when so many problems remain with the OS.
They note developers complain the platform is slow, the browser and mail client is bad, the on-screen keyboard sluggish, and, according to William Volk, CEO of mobile app vendor Playscreen, said the Google Checkout experience for purchasing apps is “unacceptable to the vast majority of Android users.”
Alex Kerr, founder of mobile app vendor Phone Thing Ltd., feels the popularity Android enjoys amongst the tech crowd has less to do with its actual attribute than to the antipathy many developers feel towards Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Nokia’s Symbian.
“The whole thing stinks of religious dogma, as with the old PC/Mac/Linux wars…There’s way too much emotional opinion floating around, resting on blind dogma,” he posted on a professional mobile developer forum.
Dont you think its better go to the hottest OS up to day like the Nokia N900 Maemo OS ?
[...] reported from IntoMobile, AdMob have estimated that they will make around $60 million per year, but developers are more [...]
If you’re an Android developer then you should be considering creating awareness for your applications. Any publicity is good. Android handset devices have hardly reached into the hands of the global consumer. It’s just a matter of time till we see such sales ramp up.
Some developers like Aldiko are getting better exposure on a global scale where Android Market is not available by using alternative App Markets that have global reach.
eg.: http://twitter.com/Hadrien/statuses/3763569297