According to data from a survey held by independent app store provider GetJar, demand for Android handsets has grown significantly, to the point where twice as many people will consider their next phone to run Google’s OS than Apple’s iOS.
According to GetJar, almost 40 percent of respondents said they will switch to Android for their next phone, compared to the 18 percent who said they would like to switch to the iPhone.
Of course, there are only a handful iPhone models with relatively steep prices, and hundreds of Android devices – ranging from very cheap to massively overpriced – but let’s not get things like the competitive landscape and distinct business strategies get in the way of a good story.
As always, please consider the source. As GetJar notes in its own press release, the company plans to “aggressively expand its offering to Android publishers in order to secure its position as the premier ‘open’ Android Market alternative”, so it is evidently in their best interest to market Android as a great alternative for the iPhone.
I’m not saying that isn’t the case (it all boils down to your needs and purchasing power) but you can see why GetJar is so keen on spreading survey results that predict a bright future for Android. Remember, they just raised $25 million to support their above-mentioned strategy.
GetJar also noted, unsurprisingly for anyone paying attention, that app usage is on the rise with the survey results showing almost 34 percent of consumers spending one hour or more using apps per day, compared to 49 percent who spend the same amount of time watching television. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents use mobile apps more than once a day.
Other unsurprising survey results include:
- Gaming apps are the most popular, followed closely by social networking apps
- The amount of free apps and the ease of search topped the list of things users look for in an app store
- The cost of an app was the biggest deciding factor in whether to download an app or not
GetJar did not specify the research methodology or scope in the press statement.
GetJar is the world¹s largest free app store with over 2 billion downloads to date. The company distributes more than 350,000 mobile applications for Android and 395,000 developers have registered with GetJar to distribute their apps. In 2011, GetJar was named as one of the ‘Ones To Watch’ by GigaOM Europe. GetJar is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Seattle, the UK and Lithuania. For more information, please visit http://www.getjar.com and follow us @GetJar.
In August 2005, Google acquired Android, a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA. Android’s co-founders who went to work at Google included Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger), Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire), Nick Sears (once VP at T-Mobile), and Chris White (one of the first engineers at WebTV). At the time, little was known about the functions of Android other than they made software for mobile phones. This began rumors that Google was planning to enter...
Apple’s iPhone was introduced at MacWorld in January 2007 and officially went on sale June 29, 2007, selling 146,000 units within the first weekend of launch. The phone has been hailed as revolutionary with its bundle of advanced mobile web browsing, music and video playback, and touch screen controls. The iPhone is exclusively carried on the networks of both AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. An iPhone can function as a video camera (video recording was not a standard feature...
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
