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Google Play turns out to have more apps than iOS App Store

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Mobile applications are now one of the driving-forces behind smartphone and tablet design, and have experienced a steady growth throughout the years. Apple has been a leader in the application industry for the past few years, topping Google, Amazon and Microsoft when it comes to the number of apps and developers they host in their application store.

One of the biggest reasons why people nowadays buy smartphones and tablets are applications themselves, because you can’t do much with these devices if you don’t have at least a few apps installed. Those of us who are fascinated by mobile technology are gravitating towards flagships that come with immense processing power and try to upgrade in a timely manner so that we can call our devices truly future-proof. These flagships employ next-generation processors, which rely on massive amounts of RAM memory as well as large battery units so that users can enjoy any apps they would like, even if they require a lot of power and take up a lot of space.

The constant development of various apps and games has influenced OEMs to create smartphones and tablets that are optimized for different types of users. The Nvidia Shield Tablet is a good example of this trend, seeing as it was designed with mobile gamers in mind. With the powerful Nvidia Tegra K1 CPU on board and now with Android 5.0 Lollipop available, the Nvidia Shield Tablet aims to offer mobile gamers who check back to the Google Play Store to find new apps daily a device that can handle anything they throw at it.

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Nvidia Shield Tablet

Apps can also be targeted at large displays, focusing on graphics and beautiful visual elements so that users can marvel at how far technology has come in just the past few years. The LG G3 and Galaxy Note 4 demonstrate the trend towards QHD resolution and high-end display technology with their 2560*1440 resolution and 4K video playback capabilities. The iPhone 6 Plus was launched with similar needs in mind, Apple trying to cater to fans that were asking for larger displays with higher resolution. Alas, there are only a few apps that can truly take advantage of such high resolution, but the market is expanding and developers are continuously working on making apps compatible and optimized for these high-end devices and displays.

Apps are also migrating towards larger screens, including TVs, so developers need to optimize their apps for big-screen viewing. There are countless apps out there which take advantage of next-gen technology and try to give users a sense of immersive experiences while helping them perform daily activities and keep in touch with the online world (PhotoMath is a good example).

Developers don’t compete with each other as much as the platforms they are developing for are. The endless row between iOS and Android is ongoing, and there are no sings of it ever coming to a halt. Nonetheless, there are “marginal” platforms out there which tend to stay out of the conflict, such as Amazon, Firefox and Windows. These have their own apps and dedicated app stores, but they don’t have as many apps or developers to boast with. Google and Apple have been forerunners in the application industry, but times are changing.

The most recent analysis regarding apps, developers and consumers reveals that the steady growth of applications and stores, as well as the number of developers creating for a platform has shifted. Even though Apple’s iOS app store has been mostly the winner when it comes to the number of applications and developers it hosts, the trend has shifted towards Google and Android, subsequently to the Play Store.

Android has become a very powerful platform and the most popular one at the moment, fans demonstrating that the freedom and customization Google decided to offer through its OS is much appreciated. iOS has been criticized over the years because of its restrictive practices and limited customization it offers on both iPhones and iPads. In spite of that, there are millions of iOS and Apple fans out there who have become accustomed to the ecosystem and have learned to appreciate its quirks.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

Both Android and iOS have their ups and downs when it comes to the user interface as well as the performance they offer, and the choice between them ultimately comes down to user preference. If you’ve grown up with Android, the shift to iOS would be cumbersome and time-consuming, but possible and enjoyable. At the same time, the shift from iOS to Android will have the same effects on the user. Still, it seems that even though users are in closely equal numbers on both mobile operating systems, there has been an increase in the number of apps and developers working on the Google Play Store.

Android Wear might have been a contributor to this growth, since developers started to create apps for wearable devices running Google’s platform. Apple is yet to launch the Apple Watch, and rumor has it will come with its own version of iOS, designed specifically for the new smart watch. Until that launch unfolds, Android Wear seems to be a pull-factor and a growing app category in the Play Store.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

Today, the Google Play Store is home to more than 1,4 million apps, while the iOS app store is home to only about 1,2 million apps. For reference, you should also know that the Amazon app store which caters to both platforms is home to around 300 thousand apps. These measurements were made at the end of 2014, so the number of apps on each store might have increased since we’ve hit the new year. Still, these numbers are a definite proof of how these app stores grew compared to previous years.

In 2013, the Google Play Store had around 700 thousand apps which users could choose from, while Apple’s store had more than 760 thousand. The Amazon app store started booming too, offering its users around 150 thousand apps. A year before, in 2012, The Play Store came in at the end of the year with roughly 300 thousand apps, the iOS store with 400 thousand and the Amazon app store had just started with a few thousand apps. As you can see, all three stores have grown significantly in two years, almost doubling their initial app count.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

Developers are the people behind all these apps, so you can imagine that there are thousands of people working to make your mobile experience better, faster and more fun. Google has been the leader in this department for three years now, surpassing Apple. There are and were more developers working on apps for Google’s mobile operating system than there were working for Apple’s app store. Current research points out that Google benefits from the work of more than 400 thousand developers, while Apple has about 300 thousand developers to work with.

Since Android has become one of the best platforms for mobile gaming, developers flocked to create various games and the “games” category in the Play Store has seen a huge rise in apps and their sheer number. This means that now, you have tons of games to choose from, some good, some bad, other expensive, while most of them are free. On iOS, developers tended to create apps for business-oriented people, which clearly defines what kind of customer preferences each mobile OS may represent in a broad understanding of audience behavior.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

If we are to look at how categories within each online app store grew in the past year, we would end up with conclusions that might not reflect reality. Since Games was the fastest growing category that has seen a boom in apps and games in the Play Store, we could assume that Android users are younger people oriented towards fun and games, rather than career and business. That wouldn’t be a valid remark, though, because Android offers just as many business solutions and apps and people’s downloads don’t necessarily reflect their lifestyles.

Even though these were the fastest growing categories in iOS and Android app stores, that doesn’t reflect on users as much as it does on developers. Game developers tended to go to Android to publish their games, while business-oriented developers thought they would have a better chance on iOS. The fact that developers chose one operating system or the other proves their own preferences more than it proves the way in which users interact with the stores and with the apps they download from the stores.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

In conclusion, 2014 is the first year in which Google managed to surpass Apple in the sheer number of apps it hosts, and also managed to keep the record when it comes to the number of developers creating games and apps for its platform. Apple still isn’t too far behind, but these statistics prove that developers appreciate the openness, customizability and easy to use platform Google offers them more than the rigorous platform Apple uses for receiving apps. The process of publishing an app or a game within these stores is easier if one chooses the Google Play Store, which may be the cause of the “flocking” developers to Android. Nonetheless, some say that by enacting rigorous policies and in-depth control, Apple manages to offer its users more innovative and perfected apps and games. You be the judge of that.

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

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Chart courtesy of Appfigures Blog

 

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Android

Google Chrome now has a ‘picture-in-picture’ feature

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Google is getting ready to make a big change to how its Chrome browser works. This is because new browsers from startups like Arc are making the market more competitive. The company said on Wednesday that it will be adding a new feature called “Minimized Custom Tabs” that will let users tap to switch between a native app and their web content. When you do this, the Custom Tab turns into a small window that floats above the content of the native app.

The new feature is all about using Custom Tabs, which is a feature in Android browsers that lets app developers make their own browser experience right in their app. Users don’t have to open their browser or a WebView, which doesn’t support all of the web platform’s features. Custom tabs let users stay in their app while browsing. Custom tabs can help developers keep users in their apps longer and keep them from leaving and never coming back.

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If you make the Custom Tab into a picture-in-picture window, switching to the web view might feel more natural, like you’re still in the native app. People who send their customers to a website to sign up for accounts or subscriptions might also find this change useful, since it makes it easier for users to switch between the website and the native app.

After being shrunk down to the picture-in-picture window, the Custom Tab can be pushed to the side of the screen. Users can tap on a down arrow to bring the page back to the picture-in-picture window when it is full screen.

The new web experience comes at a time when Google is making it easier for Android users to connect to the web. People can find their way to the web with AI-powered features like Circle to Search and other integrations that let them do things like circle or highlight items.

The change is coming to the newest version of Chrome (M124), and developers who already use Chrome’s Custom Tabs will see it automatically. Google says that the change only affects Chrome browsers, but it hopes that other browser makers will add changes like these.

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TikTok Shop is now introducing its collection of pre-owned high-end fashion items to customers in the United Kingdom

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TikTok Shop, the social commerce marketplace of TikTok, is introducing a new section dedicated to secondhand luxury items in the United Kingdom. This move positions TikTok Shop in direct rivalry with existing platforms such as The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari. The offering has been present at TikTok Shop U.S. for a duration exceeding six months.

The addition of this new category enables clients in the United Kingdom to conveniently buy second-hand luxury garments, designer purses, and various accessories from within the TikTok application. Upon its inception, the platform offers a selection of only five British brands, namely Sellier, Luxe Collective, Sign of the Times, HardlyEverWornIt, and Break Archive.

Since its introduction in 2022, TikTok Shop has generated sales of approximately $1 billion or more in merchandise value. Nevertheless, despite its triumph, some contend that TikTok Shop is undermining the short-form video-sharing platform, alleging that counterfeit and substandard merchandise are inundating the market. The purchase of pre-owned luxury goods online carries the greatest danger of encountering counterfeit products, even for major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and others, which also struggle with ensuring authenticity.

TikTok Shop, like other resale marketplaces, implements an anti-counterfeit policy that ensures a complete reimbursement in the event that a seller is verified to have sold a counterfeit item. Bloomberg has disclosed that the corporation is engaged in discussions with luxury goods company LVMH to enhance efforts to combat counterfeiting.

Every secondhand brand on TikTok Shop in the U.S. must possess certificates from third-party authenticators. TikTok collaborated with authentication providers Entrupy and Real Authentication to verify the authenticity of designer handbags available on the platform.

Concurrently, a representative from TikTok informed me that the five British brands each possess their own internal verification procedure. They declined to provide the commencement date for accepting secondhand brands other than their own.

TikTok Shop’s introduction of a used luxury category is a calculated maneuver to access the expanding market for previously owned high-end goods. The secondhand luxury market is a prosperous industry valued at around $49.3 billion (€45 billion) in 2023, with global sales of pre-owned designer items.

Moreover, this expansion is in line with the growing inclination of individuals towards adopting preloved fashion, and it creates new opportunities for secondhand brands in the U.K. to access a broader client demographic. The prevalence of secondhand fashion on TikTok is apparent, as seen by more than 144,000 TikTok postings utilizing the hashtag #secondhandfashion, resulting in nearly 1.2 billion views.

Today’s statement follows closely after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill mandating that ByteDance sell TikTok or else risk a ban in the U.S. This bill seems to be gaining favor in the Senate. An embargo would have a significant impact on American merchants who sell their products on the application. As per the company’s statement, the brief video-sharing application produced a total of $14.7 billion in revenue for small- to mid-size enterprises in the year 2023.

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Airchat, developed by Naval Ravikant, is a social application that focuses on conversation rather than written messages

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Airchat is a recently developed social media application that promotes and encourages users to engage in open and spontaneous conversations.

Last year, a previous iteration of Airchat was released. However, yesterday the team, which included Naval Ravikant, the founder of AngelList, and Brian Norgard, a former product executive for Tinder, rebuilt the application and reintroduced it on both iOS and Android platforms. At present, Airchat is exclusively accessible via invitation. However, it has already achieved a ranking of #27 in the social networking category on Apple’s App Store.

Airchat has a user interface that is visually familiar and easy to understand. Users can follow other users, navigate through a feed of posts, and interact with those posts by replying, liking, and sharing them. The distinction comes from the fact that the content consists of audio recordings for both posts and replies, which are subsequently converted into written form by the application.

Airchat automatically starts sending messages, which you can quickly navigate through by vertically swiping up and down. If you have the desire, you have the option to pause the audio and only read the text. Additionally, users have the capability to exchange photographs and videos. However, it appears that audio is the main point of interest for everyone, and Ravikant explains that it has the potential to significantly change the way social apps function, especially when contrasted to text-based platforms.

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Upon my recent enrollment in Airchat, the majority of the messages I encountered pertained to the application itself. Notably, Ravikant and Norgard actively engaged in responding to inquiries and seeking input from users.

“All humans are inherently capable of harmonious interactions with one another; it simply necessitates the use of our innate communication abilities,” Ravikant stated. “The prevalence of online text-only media has created the false belief that people are unable to get along, when in reality, everyone is capable of getting along.”

Past instances have seen digital entrepreneurs placing their bets on speech as the upcoming significant trend in social media. However, Airchat’s utilization of asynchronous, threaded messages provides a distinct experience compared to the transient live chat rooms that briefly gained popularity on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. Norgard claimed that this method eliminates the obstacle of stage fright when it comes to participation, as individuals have the freedom to make multiple attempts at producing a message without anybody being aware.

Indeed, he stated that during discussions with the first users, the team discovered that the majority of individuals currently utilizing AirChat exhibit introverted and timid characteristics.

Personally, I have not yet persuaded myself to publish anything. I was primarily intrigued by observing how other individuals were utilizing the application. Additionally, I had a complex emotional connection with the auditory perception of my own speech.

However, there is value in listening to Ravikant and Norgard articulate their perspective instead of solely relying on written transcriptions, as the latter may overlook subtle aspects such as excitement and tone. I am particularly interested in observing how deadpan humor and shitposting are conveyed, or not, in audio format.

I also encountered some difficulty with the velocity. The application automatically sets the audio playing to double the normal speed, which I found to be artificial, especially considering that the main purpose is to promote human interaction. To reset the speed, simply press and hold the pause button. However, when the speed is set to 1x, I observed that I would begin to skim through longer postings while listening, and I would often jump forward before listening to the entire audio. However, perhaps that is acceptable.

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However, Ravikant’s conviction in the efficacy of speech to reduce hostility does not always obviate the requirement for content-filtering functionalities. According to him, the feed operates based on intricate regulations that aim to conceal spam, trolls, and those that either you or they may prefer not to receive messages from. However, at the time of publication, he had not yet replied to a subsequent user inquiry regarding content moderation.

When questioned about monetization, namely the introduction of advertisements, whether in audio format or otherwise, Ravikant stated that the company is currently not under any obligation to generate revenue. (He characterized himself as “not the exclusive investor” but rather as a significant stakeholder in the company.)

“Monetization is of little importance to me,” he stated. “We will operate this project with minimal financial resources if necessary.”

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