The app industry shows no signs of slowing down, with 194 billion downloads in 2018 and over $100 billion in consumer spending. People spend 90% of their mobile time in apps and more time using their mobile devices than watching TV. In other words, apps aren’t just a way to spend idle hours — they’re a big business. And one that often seems to change overnight. In this new Extra Crunch series, we’ll help you keep up with the latest news from the world of apps — including everything from the OS’s to the apps that run upon them, as well as the money that flows through it all.
This week, alternatives to the traditional app store is a big theme. Not only has a new, jailbreak-free iOS marketplace called AltStore just popped up, we’ve also got both Apple and Google ramping up their own subscription-based collections of premium apps and games.
Meanwhile, the way brands and publishers want to track their apps’ success is changing, too. And App Annie — the company that was the first to start selling pickaxes for the App Store gold rush — is responding with an acquisition that will help app publishers better understand the return on investment for their app businesses.
Headlines
AltStore is an alternative App Store that doesn’t need a jailbreak
An interesting alternative app marketplace has appeared on the scene, allowing a way for developers to distribute iOS apps outside the official App Store, reports Engadget — without jailbreaking, which can be difficult and has various security implications. Instead, the new store works by tricking your device into thinking you’re a developer sideloading apps. And it uses a companion app on your Mac or PC to re-sign the apps every 7 days via iTunes WiFi syncing protocol. Already, it’s offering a Nintendo emulator and other games, says The Verge. And Apple is probably already working on a way to shut this down. For now, it’s live at Altstore.io.
For the third time in a month, Google mass-deleted Android apps from a big Chinese developer.
Does Google Play have a malicious app problem? That appears to be the case as Google has booted some 46 apps from major Chinese mobile developer iHandy out of its app store, BuzzFeed reported. And it isn’t saying why. The move follows Google’s ban of two other major Chinese app developers, DO Global and CooTek, who had 1 billion total downloads.
Google Firebase gets new tools
At its Firebase Summit, Google introduced Firebase Extensions, which are pre-packaged bundles of code designed to automate common tasks in your projects. “Whether you want to resize an image, add people to an email list or shorten URLs, we’ve built an array of solutions that you can easily deploy to your projects,” the company explained. “There’s no need to write or debug code–it’s all done for you.”
Google also expanded the functionality of its Firebase Emulator Suite, upgraded Firebase Predictions, open-sourced more libraries, and launched Firebase App Distribution — the latter which offers a way to distribute pre-release versions of apps to tests, including both iOS and Android. You can read all about this and other news here on Google’s Firebase blog.
App Annie acquires Libring, expands its analytics suite
App Annie, already the go-to source for mobile app market data and analytics, is expanding its platform with the acquisition of mobile analytics provider Libring. The deal will allow App Annie to present its mobile app market data side by side with advertising analytics data in order to paint a more complete picture of an app’s performance and revenue. That means a better understanding of metrics like customer acquisition cost, the lifetime value, the return on ad spend and the return on investment will come to App Annie’s platform. Read more about the deal on TechCrunch.
iOS 13 adoption tops 20%
One thing Apple doesn’t seem to have trouble with is getting users to upgrade their mobile device’s software. A week after its launch, iOS 13 adoption is slightly ahead of where iOS 12 adoption was at the same point. On Sept. 26, 2019, it crossed the 20% adoption mark, said Mixpanel. That number should continue to grow, as iOS 12 had a 93% share at the time of iOS 13’s launch, 9to5Mac reported.
If you’ve yet to download it, go grab iOS 13.1 now — it’s got everything that’s new in iOS 13, but it’s a little more stable.
Apple warns of a bug involving third-party keyboard apps
Apple put out a rare security advisory, warning of a bug that impacts third-party keyboards. Some keyboards may be able to gain “full access” permissions, even if the permission wasn’t granted. The bug will be fixed in an upcoming release, Apple said. It then quickly shipped that very thing on Friday, Sept 27.
Google Play Pass — Google’s version of Apple Aracde — launches
Apple Arcade is really, really good. And, well, for $500M it should be. Google Play Pass is…um…different. Like Arcade, Google Play Pass offers unlimited access to games for a monthly subscription. But it also throws in non-game apps into the mix. And it doesn’t have exclusives or a ton of the premium games Apple is known for. (Unless you count that iOS-first hit, Monument Valley!) But it is cheap at $1.99 per month for the first year, so if you’re on Android you may as well. After the first year, it goes to $5/month. You may need to re-evaluate the library at that time. Read more about the service’s launch on TechCrunch.
Hey Siri, play Taylor Swift on Spotify
Spotify can tap into Siri’s powers with iOS 13, reports The Verge. The feature is available in beta versions of the Spotify app and currently works on the iPhone, but not Apple Watch, with a public launch likely soon to come. The additional functionality is thanks to Apple’s further opening up of Siri to third-party developers with iOS 13, allowing them to not just launch apps but also interact with them. Other popular apps are also putting this to use, like Google Maps, Waze, and Pandora.
What a difference a year (and China) makes for PUBG
Sensor Tower reports PUBG Mobile passed $1 billion in global player spending, thanks to massive growth and the launch of its reworked Chinese version. PUBG Mobile grew its gross revenue from approximately $25 million in August 2018 to more than $160 million in August 2019, an increase of about 540%.
Twitch to pay the Apple tax with the launch of subscriptions on iOS
Twitch is embracing the Apple tax. Twitch iOS app users will be able to subscribe to favorite streamers and purchase individual or bundled tokens that they can redeem for a Tier 1 subscription to the channel of their choice for up to 12 months, the company announced at TwitchCon alongside a host of product updates. The feature launches in October. Despite the revenue share Apple requires, Twitch says streamers will earn the same revenue themselves from iOS subscribers. Meanwhile, subscribers get all the same perks they would have otherwise had, if they subscribed directly, like custom emotes or sub-only content.
Downloads
App of the Week: Adobe Fresco
Adobe’s next-generation drawing and painting app Fresco came to iPad this week. The app takes good advantage of Apple Pencil and with Adobe’s A.I.-powered Live Brushes, it can help recreate the feeling of painting with oils and watercolors. Fresco also features vector brushes, which means you can start a draft of your drawing in Fresco then move to Illustrator to finish it. The app comes with Creative Cloud subscriptions, but a free version is available to try it out.
Game of the Week: Mario Kart Tour
Nintendo’s latest, Mario Kart Tour, mobile game, came to iOS for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, this week, plus Android devices. The free-to-play title offers in-app purchases and introduces a range of driving mechanics that are a bit different to the ones you may be familiar with from other consoles. Despite enthusiasm for Nintendo’s games coming to iOS, Apple gamers are this week enamored with and distracted by Apple Arcade, which moves away from in-app purchases. Read a review of Mario Kart Tour on TechCrunch.
More Reading
Long Read: iOS and iPadOS 13: The MacStories Review
Okay, technically this was from last week — but it’s 30 pages long so we’re still reading! The MacStories iOS 13 review is an in-depth look at everything new in the updated OS and how it lays the groundwork for the iPad to branch out. Feel like nerding out on operating systems for a few days, this is the read for you. (If you don’t have time, there’s a podcast instead.)
Analysis: How Apple Arcade wants to bust up free-to-play games. And why that’s a good thing
The L.A. Times argues that Apple Arcade is a step in the right direction in terms of Apple becoming known as a brand associated with “premium” content. The App Store itself is no longer the best place for this sort of gaming, having instead excelled best at the free-to-play genre.
“A long overdue course correction that attempts to attract attention away from free-to-play diversions, Apple Arcade succeeds where the game industry has failed. Apple’s iTunes recognized a weakness of the mainstream music industry, namely a fear to collectively embrace digital music. Now Apple Arcade acknowledges what’s long been one of the game industry’s most stubborn, less becoming traits: a lack of willingness to take a risk and put its best and most adventurous content forward.”
Op-Ed: I hope Apple Arcade makes room for weird, cool shit
TechCrunch editor Matthew Panzarino notes Apple Arcade could give unique games a new home.
“Apple Arcade seems purpose-built to make room in the market for beautiful, sad, weird, moving, slow, clever and heartfelt. All things that the action, shooter and MOBA-driven major market of games has done nothing to foster over the last decade…
My hope is that the Apple Arcade advantage, an aggressive $4.99 price and prime placement in the App Store, may help create an umbrella of sorts for games that don’t fit the “big opening weekend” revenue mold, and I hope Apple leans into that. I know that there may be action-oriented and big-name titles in the package now and in the future, and that’s fine. But there are many kinds of games out there that are fantastic, but “minor” in the grand scheme of things, and having a place that could create sustainability in the market for these gems is a great thing.