Apps on Nokia’s OVI store had 2.5 times higher download numbers in Q2 2011 compared to apps on Apple App Store
The “average app” has a better chance to generate downloads on “non-hyped” platforms.
These findings are taken from our new Smartphone App Market Monitor V.3.
Despite all the hype around the major platforms Android and iOS, publishers are still overlooking the hidden potentials of the niche players. The Q2 2011 results of our smartphone application monitoring report indicate that those applications published on the less popular platforms, such as WP7 marketplace or Blackberry’s AppWorld, generate significantly more downloads compared to the Apple App Store.
Nokia’s OVI store still generates highest average downloads per app
Average Symbian app makes 160% higher downloads per day compared to iOS app
Significantly lower competition, yet a sufficiently large user base that desires apps, are the major reasons for this. Symbian still retains, by far, the highest potential user base. Even though its users are incomparably less active than iOS’s heavy downloaders, it still generates significant download volumes to Symbian publishers. This is largely because whilst Apple boasts of its 400,000 apps, the OVI store contains less than a tenth of that number.
Looking into average numbers, the Android Market stands not far behind the Apple App Store. This quarter, the average Android App attracted just 5% less users than iOS. Competition is harsh.
However, going in for very small niche platforms may not be the best idea either. LG World! and Samsung’s App Store are struggling to generate user attention. Although LG has less than 3,000 apps and as a result it is much easier to be discovered there, its user base is just too low.
Symbian is not dead.
Although the Symbian platform is seen by some developers to be clumsy and outdated, as well as Nokia’s transition to WP7 which has fuelled discussions as to when Nokia will give up its platform completely, the current status seems to be promising. Recently, Nokia reported the launch of three new Symbian Smartphones and confirmed that these will not be the last of the products, nor updates, to be delivered on Symbian.
We invite you to comment and share your opinions on the future of Symbian.
You can find other important Q2 2011 market developments in the new volume of the research2guidance Smartphone App Market Monitor. The third volume of the report includes a special interest chapter on mobile retail market.
I think this is a misleading conclusion because you’re not breaking out any absolute numbers, nor breaking down between free and paid apps.
Also, taking Apple App Store as a zero point is confused as the average downloads per iPhone, iPad and universal app will be different.
It would also be interesting to see how different types of average – mean, mode, median etc – impact these figures.
The increase/decrease by percentage is obviously independent from the absolute number of apps per store.
We took Apple as a zero point because Apple still can be seen as the benchmark other stores have to compete against.
For more information on app downloads these graphs might be interesting for you.
http://www.research2guidance.com/shop/index.php/app-dowloads-per-day
http://www.research2guidance.com/shop/index.php/app-dowloads-per-app
To find more research please have a look in our webshop: http://www.research2guidance.com/shop/
Hello Mr Jon, Paid r Free Apps List R Nt Necessary I Think. Y Means Globally People Buy Mbl Phones Multipurpose (Imaging, Video, Songs, Games, Mailing,Editing, Communication). Without Payment T S Possible In Ovi Store. Its A Great One. Thanks For Research Co. to Gve Such Superb Info.
While I’m sure Symbian accounts for the majority of downloads, it should perhaps be noted that the Ovi Store covers more than just Symbian. S40, Maemo and MeeGo apps are available there too, iinm. Also, the Ovi Store ‘makes available’ more than just apps.
It is true that Ovi Store supports not just Symbian, however we concentrate on smartphone content share and downloads only. What refers to „other“ content, official Nokia stats claim, that 70% of their downloads are generated by apps and games. We adjust our estimates accordingly, to be comparable to other stores.
“Although the Symbian platform is seen by some developers to be clumsy and outdated”
Well, a few Apple and Android fanatics may think this; I think it’s clumsy and outdated to have to require a special Apple computer to develop for a phone. Everyone can have an opinion.
But I note that the poor statements about Symbian development are several years out of date, and refer to the old “Symbian C++” method. That’s long gone now – Symbian development is done using C++/Qt, and I have to say it’s one of the best application toolkits around. To claim that Qt is “outdated” is just plain nonsense.
“it should perhaps be noted that the Ovi Store covers more than just Symbian. S40, Maemo and MeeGo apps are available there too”
I don’t see this is a problem even if they were included – the Apple app store also includes Ipod and Ipad apps, surely? (Yes, it might mean that it was another Nokia’s platform doing really well instead of Symbian, though it doesn’t change the more general point that there are far better platforms for developers than the overhyped Apple and Android.)
if can’t using same software with IOS and android, franky i think more people will choose android or ios in future due to they can use the FOC interesting software to connect each other even it is two difference OS which nokia can’t support like talkbox, viber, line and etc still can’t support symbian. i love nokia! and ovi store especially ovi maps! even all my friends already using iphone and samsung galaxy S2 (9/10), i’m still using nokia N8. i only able to use watsapp to contact with them except sms and phone call. this is the reason they keep asking me to change my phone.
hope can see some changes of symbian.
Apple has already set a milestone in the market and Nokia still has to prove its worth in this field. Both, Apple and Nokia are the leading companies in mobile industries, but strategy and appeal are different. The success ratio will be defined with the novelty and approach.