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Topic: Android

BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

Summary: BlackBerry App Store is in second place in mobile application store revenue behind leading Apple's App Store, according to figures released today. Is Apple's mobile dominance unstoppable?

Zack Whittaker

By for iGeneration |

IHS reports state that while Apple is still wiping the floor with the rest of the mobile market in application market sales, BlackBerry is in second place overtaking both Android and Nokia.

While the battle for younger users is between the iPhone and BlackBerry handsets, these figures show that iPhone users buy and download the most applications. Though BlackBerry users in a far away second place downloading even more applications as they become available.

In short, while it does not show a direct correlation between Apple and BlackBerry users and application sales through their respective application stores, it does show Apple's dominance in the market.

Granted, the Apple App Store is in clear first place with 82% of all revenue, raking in over $1.78 billion in 2010, with BlackBerry taking second place at 7% and $165 million.

Even though Android is the world's most used mobile operating system, with a staggering 350,000 Android applications per day, it shows that the Android Market is falling behind all the major players - even Nokia.

But crucially, as BlackBerry, Nokia and Android users are year on year buying and downloading more applications, iPhone users are slowing down.

Once Nokia and Microsoft close the deal and the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Ovi Store is combined, this will further dent the figures. Though truth be told, the merger will probably hit the BlackBerry maker Research in Motion more than the Apple.

Is Apple's App Store unstoppable?

Topics: Android, Apple, Google, Hardware, Mobility, Nokia, BlackBerry

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23 comments
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  • Erm, no...

    "But crucially, as BlackBerry, Nokia and Android users are year on year buying and downloading more applications, iPhone users are slowing down."

    That's possibly true, but not from these figures. According to the figures quoted, Apple increased its app downloads by 132%, meaning it had 232% of revenue in 2010 compared to 2009 ($1.7 billion vs $0.8 billion).

    This is the common confusion of market share and market. In an expanding market, you can lose market share and still be increasing your market substantially.
    MartinMTurner
    Reply Vote

    • Also, iOS had over 360 000 activations per day in Q4 in **average**

      @MartinMTurner: Andoird only crossed 300 000 mark by the middle of December.<br><br>So <b>Apple seriously leads in mobile OS share.</b>

      Also, the newer 350 000 figure for Andoid is not sourced (if you go to the link). And even if it true, it still behind Apple.
      DDERSSS
      Reply Vote

      • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

        @denisrs
        That's Android with 350,000 activations per day not Apple. Apple is running at just over half that.
        Mah
        Reply Vote

      • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

        @Mah - You're forgetting all the other iOS devices Apple also activates. Their daily average last quarter (Oct-Dec 2010) was more than 366,000 iOS devices per day.
        rbgaynor
        Reply Vote

  • I'm staggered all-right, but not in a good way...

    > "Even though Android is the world?s most used mobile operating system, with a staggering 350,000 Android applications per day"

    "Staggering", indeed, but the immense sums under discussion should be "activations per day", not "applications".

    Good to see ZDNet's found themselves another writer with mediocre editing skills -- less pressure for extant staff, I imagine. If Zack wants to really ingratiate himself with Team ZD he should try gaining an extra 40% of body weight. Then he'd fit right in around here, if nowhere else.
    Justa Notherguy
    Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @Justa Notherguy

      Couldn't agree more
      RoboRobp
      Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @Justa Notherguy
      Zack is just a college kid. I find most of his articles interesting for their perspective. That's why I read blogs in addition to news sites. Cut him some slack!
      x I'm tc
      Reply Vote

      • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

        @jdakula
        I agree. The offensive nature with which many ZDNet posters need to communicate is quite extraordinary. Too many think that they know everything and that they never make mistakes. How wrong they are . . .
        Restricted_access
        Reply Vote

  • Put it this way...

    I trust Apple and have paid for many Apps at the App store. I moved to Aandroid (big mistake) and I have no idea how to buy an app and truthfully I really don't want to...
    Hasam1991
    Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @Hasam1991

      Simple, fire up the Market, search for App and click Buy.

      I like my Droid better than my previous iPhone.
      itguy08
      Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @Hasam1991 I'm sorry you cannot figure out to buy an app. It's really quite intuitive. Find the app. Buy it.
      tn77
      Reply Vote

    • Sure. That was so silly, I think you just outed yourself

      @Hasam1991
      as an Apple employee. No one in their right frame of mind would make such a statement so obviously false.
      It really no harder then buying an app through Apple.
      John Zern
      Reply Vote

  • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

    I have downloaded about 50 Android apps. Kept some. Deleted some. All were free. I have business card scanners, IM clients, ebooks, translation apps, speech synthesis, netcounters, video and music players, social hubs, maps, shopping apps, banking apps, google sky, citrix, games and more. All free. I don't think you can simply use revenue as a sole indicator of market share when there are so many great apps where cost isn't factored in. Revenue might be a good indicator of market share, but it may also be a good indicator of an excessive money grab.
    CanuckHockeyCoach
    Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @CanuckHockeyCoach <br><br>Agreed, I have 212 apps on my android phone, 5 of them cost money. My phone does everything i could ask for and more. Android has a much higher % of free apps then apple so of course it will show less revenue as whole. Blackberry has the highest % of paid apps then all of the appstores/markets but less apps altogether. Apple does in fact have more "well put together" apps then any market but based on the sheer volume of apps and amount of time app store has been active i would expect that. There are more and more devs starting to create apps on android and apple together and I'm sure they will continue that trend. Why limit yourself to one market?
      RoboRobp
      Reply Vote

  • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

    I take two things from these statistics. One ridiculous, the other more logical.

    First, the growth numbers, if they continue, will produce a convergence. Assuming static growth rates (a ridiculous assumption), by that chart Android Market passes App Store in July 2011, Ovi does the same in August 2011, and Blackberry App World completes the final pass in March 2012. It is unlikely that the final outcome will resemble what I just described. The mobile world is evolving too rapidly to extrapolate.

    A second more reasonable interpretation is that the chart simply reflects the more rapid growth of less mature App Stores. As time passes, the growth rates will equalize. Most likely, the dollar shares will reflect market shares over a longer period of time.

    I have over 40 (permanent) apps installed on my Fascinate, and another five or so being evaluated. Each has a specific purpose and does something well. I probably paid for 12 of them, ones I use often and want to support.
    printing724
    Reply Vote

  • Errrr

    When you [Apple] takes 30% of all revenues, no wonder why they are at the top. That an the fact that everything is tied to iTunes and hence the app store.
    Gis Bun
    Reply Vote

    • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

      @Gis Bun The Android market also uses a 70/30 revenue split with developers.
      rbgaynor
      Reply Vote

  • RE: BlackBerry App World beats Android and Nokia; Is the Apple App Store unstoppable?

    Part of the reason for Android's poor showing is that Google is interested in search ads not selling apps. Same reason why Android OS is given away free - Google is interested in search ads, not software royalties.
    Mah
    Reply Vote

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