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Mon, 27 Oct 2008 Android users favoring apps over games

Applications are leading games in downloads from Google's Android Market.

Stephen Lawson

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Owners of the Android-powered G1 handset seem more anxious to get things done with it than to play games, according to download statistics from the long-awaited phone's first few days on sale.

The device - the first to use the Google-backed operating system - went on sale from T-Mobile US on Wednesday morning. The Android Market, an online store for applications and games, launched at the same time. More Android phones are yet to come, and the open-source operating system and associated applications have been anticipated as possibly the next phenomenon to shake up the mobile industry following Apple's iPhone and App Store.

By late Friday, games were taking a back seat to applications in the Android Market, based on broad ranges of download numbers displayed on the store. It showed that 20 applications had been downloaded between 10,000 and 50,000 times, compared with just five games in that class.

On Thursday, mobile research firm Medialets reported there were six applications and three games with that many downloads. Analyzing a variety of data, Medialets said downloads from the Android Market had followed a similar pattern to the App Store on its first day.

On Friday, several of the same applications were still high in the Android Market rankings. The Weather Channel, price-comparison tool ShopSavvy, the WikiMobile Encyclopedia and MySpace Mobile remained top-ranked applications. ShopSavvy had the most user ratings, at 765.

The three games that on Wednesday had already been downloaded 10,000 to 50,000 times - Pac-Man, Brain Genius Deluxe and Bonsai Blast, were joined by just two others. But Pac-Man seems to have earned the most ratings of any download by Friday, with 1,147.

The Android Market's rankings are based on a combination of user ratings and number of downloads. Games and applications appear on separate lists.

In both the iPhone and Android stores, 24 hours after launch, games made up the biggest category of type of application, followed by multimedia and "lifestyle" applications (including health and fitness, sports, shopping and photography).

The launch of the App Store was significantly different from that of the Android Market. At launch, Apple's store had 552 applications, about one-quarter of them free, and iPhones had been on sale for about a year. Within three days, it had 800 applications. The Android Market opened with just 62 products, all of which are free. Software providers won't be able to charge for products until the first quarter of next year. Starting on Monday, the store will be open to any applications developers want to offer, instead of just ones that have been chosen by Google.

Apple's App Store has now been operating for more than three months, and games are among its most prominent offerings. There are about 5,500 applications available on the App Store, which has had more than 200 million downloads.

Additional reporting by Nancy Gohring in Seattle.

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Comments received


dave said on Mon, 27 Oct 2008

The Google store as been open what, 4 days? It is statistically useless to compare what has been downloaded from it vs the Apple App Store.

The demographics of who has an iPhone vs a G1 is also very different right now, as the G1 is still in the 'early adopters' phase, while the iPhone is in the mass consumer phase.

GDev said on Mon, 27 Oct 2008

The two people I have met with G1's are over the moon with them. Not the same problems I get with my iPhone's dropped calls and weak/no signal.

Patrick said on Mon, 27 Oct 2008

GDev

If you are npot happy with your iPhone give iot back and buy a G1!!!!!
Stop moaning it looks like Apple made you buy it!

GDev said on Mon, 27 Oct 2008

I will be getting the Nokia 5800. All the functionality I lost buying an iPhone.

nom said on Mon, 27 Oct 2008

fascinating stuff GDev

missing you already

hype said on Tue, 28 Oct 2008

I understand you GDev, it's not every day a phone claiming to be smart still ignores basic user functionality to make it efficient. I think it's great the iPhone is a success, but it by no means is as easy to operate for many functions. Everyone hides behind the Safari browser as proof of it being superior, I say call me when you can copy and paste. But please don't try to use Voice Dialing, it's not available on the iPhone. Just call me from the speed dial....oh yeah.... well what ever.

Ynda said on Tue, 28 Oct 2008

Indeed "whatever". The best thing I can say about the G1 is that now has some half decent competition. In the meantime, I still just bubbling with enthusiasm for the iPhone: I feel like a new better informed, better connected, more entusiastic version of my old self. And that's a bad feeling to be derived from a gadget!

no hype, just most wanted said on Tue, 28 Oct 2008

There is an app for voice dialing ... and favorites in contacts is kind of like speed-dial ...But I get your point, if it had small lame buttons and a small lame screen it would be easier to speed dial.

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