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Is Google Play App selection really that bad?

paulsalter

paulsalter

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2008
1,622
0
UK
I am not talking about the tablet optimised/phone optimised apps, just the general selection of apps available.

I keep seeing posts that say that there is poor selection on Google compared to Apple, but are they really that bad

I started using iOS when the first iPod Touch came out, and still use it occasionally on my 4th Gen iPod Touch

Since moving to Android at the end of last year I have found apps for everything I wanted todo

Anyone else think the selection on Goole Play is good or am I in a minority
 
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PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
111
Maybe. See this thread.

Personally, I don't own an Android device yet, but am looking at the Nexus 4.

But after doing tons of searching, Google Play has all of the everyday apps anyone could want. Banking, travel, things such as Netflix and Showtime Anytime, etc.

However, it's the more detailed apps that I find Android is lacking in. iOS literally has so many different kind of apps for everything. So many different apps I can use for writing. I can only find 1 good one on Google Play, apart from Google Docs. But this goes for other kind of apps, too. iOS simply has more, and they are better designed, and people are willing to pay for them.

So I think iOS has the far superior app store. But in terms of your basic apps? Google Play has them all.
 
MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
There is less, but whether that is poorer is subjective.

(but all the main ones are there)

I do however wish however some of the smaller apps and android 'enhancements' (widgets and such) were tested and approved in a more thorough and rigorous way. A lot of independent stuff is either broken (simply doesn't work or do what it says it does) , or can cause havoc (cause memory holes etc..). So yeah they should really clamp down on stuff like that.

There are plenty of example of Apps being better on iOS than there Android counterpart, but there are also examples the other way round.

So swings & round-a-bouts.

Personally I find games in general to be better on iOS with more choice and titles released first and foremost on the Apple platform, but productivity apps and such are much the same.
 
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PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
111
Can we also talk about the movies/TV show selection? And for that matter, all the other areas of the Google Play store?

I think Google is improving in its selection, but hasn't caught up to iOS yet. Will it ever? Who knows. But they have come a long way in just the past year. I think Google is slowly putting together all the pieces. So it'll be exciting to see Android continue to develop.
 
paulsalter

paulsalter

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 10, 2008
1,622
0
UK
PDFierro said:
Can we also talk about the movies/TV show selection? And for that matter, all the other areas of the Google Play store?
Click to expand...

Are you talking about media content or apps?

For apps, I think the experience is very similar, but for content iTunes appears to have the edge, not looked into it to much on Google as they only do rental (well, purchases from yesterday here), which i don't use, but the content does seem lacking
 
P

PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
111
paulsalter said:
Are you talking about media content or apps?

For apps, I think the experience is very similar, but for content iTunes appears to have the edge, not looked into it to much on Google as they only do rental (well, purchases from yesterday here), which i don't use, but the content does seem lacking
Click to expand...

I was talking about both. But I did mention media content, and the Google Play selection is good but nowhere near up there with iTunes. However they are always adding stuff.
 
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PhoenixMac

macrumors 65816
Mar 7, 2010
1,009
1
From my experience my major apps that I use everyday omnifocus and day one they do not have, simple apps like amazon mobile are not available for the nexus 7 and the quality of the apps they do have compared side by side(tablet) do not compare at all.

So I have relegated my Nexus 7 use as a GPS/Spotify radio for my car and picking up a mini as my everyday tablet in conjunction with my iPhone for productivity.
 
V

viskon

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2012
464
10
I have no reason to complain about the app selection. Everything I need is on there. A poster above me mentioned that Amazon Mobile is not available on the Nexus 7. I can find the same app on my GNex, so not sure what's happening there.
5uraza5a.jpg
 
M

MikeAK

macrumors regular
Oct 26, 2011
218
241
Gents, The android apps section is nowhere near as bad as people like to say. Most people who still continue to trash Android and their apps are people who don't use them. The days of android not having any good apps is long gone. Like another member has said, there is an app for most everything you can ask for. It now comes down to personal likes and dislikes. People need to quit repeating the android criticism from years past because it's just not the case anymore.

It was bound to happen eventually and I know this is an Apple fan forum but the days of Apple dominating are over. Android is a very stable and viable alternative and a much more affordable price point in the phone and tablet category. People need to accept that and stop with the baseless claims against Android. Like I said, it's now down to what you prefer, likes and dislikes.
 
mattopotamus

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,738
6,109
MikeAK said:
Gents, The android apps section is nowhere near as bad as people like to say. Most people who still continue to trash Android and their apps are people who don't use them. The days of android not having any good apps is long gone. Like another member has said, there is an app for most everything you can ask for. It now comes down to personal likes and dislikes. People need to quit repeating the android criticism from years past because it's just not the case anymore.

It was bound to happen eventually and I know this is an Apple fan forum but the days of Apple dominating are over. Android is a very stable and viable alternative and a much more affordable price point in the phone and tablet category. People need to accept that and stop with the baseless claims against Android. Like I said, it's now down to what you prefer, likes and dislikes.
Click to expand...

pretty much this. It was bad 2 years ago, but now it has everything you would need. The only problem I had was finding an app to control my apple tv :(.....makes sense though haha.
 
ixodes

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
For those who place a high value on frivolous fart apps, and that type of App Android will disappoint you. Some seem to think that iOS is better because of it's sheer volume of Apps, but I find that the number of useful Apps in the Play Store is very good.
 
S

smellysox8

macrumors regular
Oct 5, 2012
120
204
People who say that Google Play app store has a worse selection of apps or a worse quality of apps are people who never touched an Android device.
 
mattopotamus

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,738
6,109
ixodes said:
For those who place a high value on frivolous fart apps, and that type of App Android will disappoint you. Some seem to think that iOS is better because of it's sheer volume of Apps, but I find that the number of useful Apps in the Play Store is very good.
Click to expand...

It is very annoying when I am looking for a new app and out of the top 25 maybe 2 are useful (apple app store).
 
S

sixteen12

macrumors regular
Nov 14, 2011
222
1
mattopotamus said:
It is very annoying when I am looking for a new app and out of the top 25 maybe 2 are useful (apple app store).
Click to expand...

That's always the case and has been on every platform for years. Most downloaded apps are very rarely the powerful and useful apps, but the stupid mindless games.
 
Z

zbarvian

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2011
2,004
2
Both platforms have the essentials, though iOS is generally better. In games and more specific apps like artsy music, photo, or video ones, iOS shines. Plus I find the quality better on iOS. It stopped being a numbers game when both stores hit 300,000 or so. Now it's a qualitative thing, and iOS will be winning for a long time. Not to mention, many apps on the Play Store aren't apps at all.
 
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PhoenixMac

macrumors 65816
Mar 7, 2010
1,009
1
I love how people say that the apps store are completely equal when they are not. It is totally dependent on your personal uses!

For mine I went right down my list of most used apps and about a third of them were not available and had no viable alternative on android. Just because all the apps YOU use are available doesn't not mean someone else's apps are available as well.

I'm not bashing android as I have a nexus 7 and use it frequently I'm just saying check out the apps YOU use to determine if it fits YOUR needs. As they do not fit everyone's needs. The same could be said from switching from android to iOS as there are 2 apps on android that aren't available on iOS that I really like.
 
ReanimationN

ReanimationN

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2011
724
0
Australia
What you have to watch out for is country specific apps. The US sound like their app selection is on par, however, for Australian specific apps, Google Play is awful. No Coastalwatch, no official NRL app, the Commonwealth Bank's apps are terrible, slow and buggy iPhone ports, no ASP app (Association of Surfing Professionals, i.e. the official surfing world tour app) etc etc.

Plus some of the apps that are actually there, such as Sportsmate's Rugby League Live, won't run on a Nexus 7. Joy. Make sure that if you use any UK specific apps that they're in the Google Play store, that they're actually decent (not shoddy, poor imitations of iPhone apps) and that they'll work with the device you want to get.
 
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Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
The success of the N7 will help immeasurably but according to an article just posted on Engadget Google is closing in on 700K apps. Which can only mean another 25 cents apps sale. :D
 
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