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Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,725
13,245
UK
It's not as simple and there are plenty of flagship android devices released that are as expensive as Apple's (S6 Edge retailed on release at a RRP higher than iPhone 6) and likewise there are many apps on the play store that are more expensive than the iOS version.
The top end android flagships are as expensive as iPhones, however the majority of android device sales (70-80%) come from mid-low end devices that cost a lot less than iPhones.
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
The top end android flagships are as expensive as iPhones, however the majority of android device sales (70-80%) come from mid-low end devices that cost a lot less than iPhones.

True, but the point is app pricing and device pricing are not the same thing. As I have pointed out there are many non freemium apps that are more expensive on Android than iOS, yet if you followed the logic of that post I quoted then they should ALL be cheaper... yet they are not ...

Even in app pricing can be more expensive. Take Minecraft Story - season pass is €14.99 on iOS here, it's €16.99 on Android here

Another example, Broken Age €2.99 iOS, €5.41 Android etc.

So the assertion the poster made that android devices are cheaper so apps are cheaper, iOS devices more expensive so apps are more expensive is simply wrong.
 
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mrex

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,458
1,527
europe
Have you also noticed that iPhones are more expensive than their Android equivalents? Same reason applies: People are prepared to pay more. Simple as that.

If people voted with their wallets, prices would fall. No sign of that either with the hardware or the software in the short term at least, so you either pay up or do without.

hmm... if people had voted with their wallets, you wouldnt have seen so many iphones there - would you? iphone got its position beeing popular in US mainly because they were subsidized. Right?

Didnt apple just announced some sort of installment plans there when they saw that carriers are ending this subsidized carousel which propaply has/had effect on sale of iphones?
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
Over all, it's because most Android users aren't willing to spend as much money.

Which I will always argue as BS, because the App store is FULL of freemium junk, and the top 10 highest grossing and top ten apps are always freemium games. If iOS users were so minted why is the app store full of freemium junk? I would also argue that the iOS store started the freemium app craze.

The Android app store has tons of apps, iOS has piracy issues with all those jailbreak devices running stolen apps.

I am yet to see a freemium Android app that runs the paymeium business model on the iOS store, because you hardly ever get an iOS app now where it doesn't have in app purchases.
The freemium business model was made to milk more money pure and simple, it had nothing to do with piracy, it is an utterly fantastic business model for game developers, and adverts are a MASSIVE stream of money for devs as is data mining off you and selling that data, people should read this article made by this sites sister site, a fascinating insight into how game and app devs literally sell your information for massive profit, oh and toucharcade is a well known iOS games site first and foremost, it just might make you lot think differently about the wonderful free high quality apps on Apples app store...

http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/
 
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Michael Goff

Suspended
Jul 5, 2012
13,329
7,422
Which I will always argue as BS, because the App store is FULL of freemium junk, and the top 10 highest grossing and top ten apps are always freemium games. If iOS users were so minted why is the app store full of freemium junk? I would also argue that the iOS store started the freemium app craze.

The Android app store has tons of apps, iOS has piracy issues with all those jailbreak devices running stolen apps.

I am yet to see a freemium Android app that runs the paymeium business model on the iOS store, because you hardly ever get an iOS app now where it doesn't have in app purchases.
The freemium business model was made to milk more money pure and simple, it had nothing to do with piracy, it is an utterly fantastic business model for game developers, and adverts are a MASSIVE stream of money for devs as is data mining off you and selling that data, people should read this article made by this sites sister site, a fascinating insight into how game and app devs literally sell your information for massive profit, oh and toucharcade is a well known iOS games site first and foremost, it just might make you lot think differently about the wonderful free high quality apps on Apples app store...

http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/

Most Android users use their phone like a feature phone. They're not cheap, just Android has a huge presence in the developing world and iOS does not.
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,625
11,298

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
This is why apps on iOS are higher quality. Developers spend their time producing high quality apps for iOS because they know that they will get a return for their labour. On android there is less motivation to produce high quality apps because android users are not going to pay the same price as iOS users and many will just side load a pirated version of the app.
Again, this is wrong. As usual, opinions based on groundless facts.
Here is a good read for you. It is educational and actually comes from people that build apps.
http://bgr.com/2015/10/30/ios-vs-android-apps-development/

Your opinions about developer motivations are also not grounded in reality, but I find that par for the course on this particular website. BTW, its just as easy to Pirate apps on iOS, OSX, and windows as it is on Android. Of course, it usually requires you to go to a shady website to begin with and hope that a virus or malware isn't attached to the apk (or Cydia file in the case of iOS.)
 
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tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Again, this is wrong. As usual, opinions based on groundless facts.
Here is a good read for you. It is educational and actually comes from people that build apps.
http://bgr.com/2015/10/30/ios-vs-android-apps-development/

Your opinions about developer motivations are also not grounded in reality, but I find that par for the course on this particular website. BTW, its just as easy to Pirate apps on iOS, OSX, and windows as it is on Android. Of course, it usually requires you to go to a shady website to begin with and hope that a virus or malware isn't attached to the apk (or Cydia file in the case of iOS.)

An interesting read, didn't know that issue devs faced but I think that's only half the story and it actually partially reinforces shanghaichica's statement, specifically that dev are more likely to see a return on their labor/investment. If coding an app for Android essentially costs more as your linked article points out, they have to generate greater revenue to turn the same profit. That, coupled with the widely available fact that apps on iOS generate significantly more revenue per download, means devs are far more likely to but their effort behind iOS first and often only behind iOS (see my last post for some examples). Yes, the gap may be shrinking but it's still there and still very significant.

image.png
 

ackmondual

macrumors 68020
Dec 23, 2014
2,446
1,151
U.S.A., Earth
Price Discrimination, plain and simple.

"Price discrimination is the practice of setting a different price for the same product in different segments to the market. For example, this can be for different classes, such as ages, or for different opening times."

iPhone users are usually willing to spend more vs Android users. Hence as an app developer you know if you set your price at $5 for an iOS app many users will buy it. Set it at the same $5 on Android and most won't.

It is sort of like gas stations. In upscale neighbourhoods, gas is usually more than in a lower class neighbourhood. (not saying android apps or persons who use android are lower class).
A WSJ article mentioned that Orbitz actually practiced this.... they actually implemented it such they would be able to detect that the site was being visited from an Apple computer, and they would actually up the prices somewhat, to take advantage of the saying how Apple users are willing to just spend more!
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304458604577488822667325882

Orbitz Worldwide Inc. has found that people who use Apple Inc. AAPL -1.87 % 's Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.

[doublepost=1452021996,1452021642][/doublepost]
I'm sure you can, but the fact is you can find more apps that are high quality on iOS than on Android since it is very hard to monetize it most devs just don't bother with Android. Stats are more than clear on this one.
This leads to the case where if iOS has many more nice apps, that attracts piracy on iOS. Having to jailbreak is a deterrent, but if folks want to pirate something, they'll be more diligent than not in overcoming hurdles.


Smaller marketshare and volume so developers have to make up with higher prices on iOS. Another factor is Apple takes a bigger 30% cut of every app purchase.
This alone is not true. iOS AppStore, Mac AppStore, Google Play, and Amazon Market Store (think this was what it was called) all take a 30% cut. For kicks and giggles, Steam also takes about the same cut (although the value vary with more scenarios), so releasing your game on there can be better or worse in that regard.

Where it gets worse is Apple requires devs to pay $99 a year, whereas with Google Play, it's a flat, $25 fee. FWIW, I hear the tools and resources are nice, and as of a few months ago, you can try out your app on your own device, and other devices on the same iCloud network BEFORE you sign up and pay to become an iOS dev.
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,888
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
blah!

i have same paid apps on ios and android - i rarely use any free apps, because i dont like ads - and the quality is same. im sure you can find some apps that are better on ios, but you will also find some apps that are better on android.
Don't even bother with him, he makes stupid and ignorant one liners, not even sure why he is here as he seems to hate anything not Apple.
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,888
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Hello, just switched from Android device to iPhone. I noticed that apps I found in App Store are more expensive than apps in Play Store. How come?
There is generally more competition in Android, for any app there are multiple competitors who all try undercut each other, and some of whom make apps free and add Ads or IAP.

Quality has nothing to do with it as from around 2013 Android app quality pretty much matched iOS, with some being better or close to matching.
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,888
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Smaller marketshare and volume so developers have to make up with higher prices on iOS. Another factor is Apple takes a bigger 30% cut of every app purchase.

Apple doesn't publish app download #'s like Google but we can still look at review #'s to get an idea. Compare, for example, the popular Pocket Casts. On iOS it has 1,274 reviews vs Android with 35,828 reviews. That's why developers prefer Android and why Android has better app selection and quality that's not different from software companies targetting the bigger Windows narketshare before OS X. For example, the best Reddit app for iOS, Alien Blue, is considered average compared to the many for Android such as Relay for Reddit, Sync for Reddit, Reddit is Fun, etc.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-casts/id414834813?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.shiftyjelly.pocketcasts

Personally, I prefer Podcast Addict but it's not available on iOS.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict
Exactly! :)
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,888
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Again, this is wrong. As usual, opinions based on groundless facts.
Here is a good read for you. It is educational and actually comes from people that build apps.
http://bgr.com/2015/10/30/ios-vs-android-apps-development/

Your opinions about developer motivations are also not grounded in reality, but I find that par for the course on this particular website. BTW, its just as easy to Pirate apps on iOS, OSX, and windows as it is on Android. Of course, it usually requires you to go to a shady website to begin with and hope that a virus or malware isn't attached to the apk (or Cydia file in the case of iOS.)
Exactly.

The ignorance of the iOS fans here is on a legendary level.
 

Jinzen

macrumors 6502
Oct 16, 2012
348
36
Again, this is wrong. As usual, opinions based on groundless facts.
Here is a good read for you. It is educational and actually comes from people that build apps.
http://bgr.com/2015/10/30/ios-vs-android-apps-development/

Your opinions about developer motivations are also not grounded in reality, but I find that par for the course on this particular website. BTW, its just as easy to Pirate apps on iOS, OSX, and windows as it is on Android. Of course, it usually requires you to go to a shady website to begin with and hope that a virus or malware isn't attached to the apk (or Cydia file in the case of iOS.)

LOL! Right. It's just as easy as it is to JAILBREAK an iPhone as it is to side load an APK. o_O
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
17,314
25,463
Wales, United Kingdom
The answer to the threads question used to be because Android offered the wider exposure whereas iOS offered the revenue. iOS users were more likely to purchase an app a few years ago in comparison to other platforms. Android customers on budget devices offered less hits so apps were either offered cheaply or free.

Nowadays devices and users are more evenly matched so I don't know if this still applies.
 
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