Recent statistics show that Google Play gets more downloads than the iOS App Store. This has happened faster than what was anticipated a year ago. The main factor behind the growth is likely the massive number of app downloads in Japan and South Korea during this year’s first quarter. Thanks to sales surges in Russia and India in the second quarter, Google Play is now in the lead. Interesting enough, Brazil and Russia are the top 5 countries for Google Play’s application download volume which indicates future growth.
Google Play surfing on a flood tide of cheap Androids
Forbes stated, “On app revenue front, iOS still leads Google Play by 130%. Yet even this lead has been shrinking rapidly – just two years ago, the iOS lead was more than 400%. It now seems that it will be only a matter of time before Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will overtake iOS in revenue generation. The key here is the flood of cheap Android models that have started dominating the smartphone markets of China, India, Russia and Brazil, the most important growth engines of the global smartphone industry.”
Google Play long term success may depend on Apple pricing
The future of Google Play will likely depend on Apple and what they will price their next iPhone. The iPhone 5S is predicted to come out either in the late summer or early fall. Apple is also predicted to release a budget iPhone, and depending on Apple’s price plan for the cheaper model, only time will tell which company will succeed in the near future.
Last year, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) changed the named of their store Android Marketplace to Google Play, which also sells movies, television shows, music, and books. It’s Android’s equivalent to iTunes. Thanks to Android’s significant growth in the market, it’s little wonder how Google Play is taking the lead. As the company continues to draw on their success from Android, they could continue to lead.
