There is no denying that iPhone rules the smartphone world of today. Apple just sold 5.2 million iPhones last quarter, a 626 percent increase from the previous Q2. The iPhone OS accounts for 47 percent of smartphone request according to AdMob. Apple also claims 32 percent of the handset industry operating profits. The numbers are impressive, but how long can iPhone remain at the top?
We could argue for hours on all sorts of different metrics, but I think the most important leading indicator is developers. Apple owes much of its iPhone success to the App Store and the community that sprung up around it. Everyone has seen the massive “There’s an app for that” campaign. Recent numbers suggest there are 65,000 apps that have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times.
With all the success that iPhone has enjoyed, would you believe we might be past their tipping point? Check out the following stats provided in a Flurry analytics report from July.
I think we know where this is going.
The chart compares the number of new projects (apps) that are being developed for iPhone and Android. Since the beginning of the year, Android has more than double its share while iPhone has declined each month. As time goes on, more developers are choosing to bring their apps to Android and I see no sign of this stopping. With every major US carrier ready to jump on the Android bandwagon, we are likely to see this trend accelerate.
With all the recent news, is it really that surprising some devs are ready to bail on the iPhone? No one understands the App Store approval process. The FCC is investigating Apple’s rejection of Google Voice. Loyal customers are unhappy. Even Palm has filed a dispute against Apple for blocking the Pre from iTunes.
If you want to know where iPhone is headed, just talk to their developers and they will tell you. The bloom is off the rose.
[via Mashable]
