What’s new with the Samsung Galaxy

Samsung unveiled its flagship smartphone at an event in London last week with great fanfare.  While the particulars of the Apple/Android mobile infrastructure make it unlikely that the Galaxy S III will be an “iPhone killer,” if the device works as advertised – and given Samsung’s impressive history, there’s no reason to suspect it won’t – then suffice it to say that there are some unassailably cool things ahead for the Android universe.  Here are some of the new whistles and bells:

• Screen size.  A recent study suggests that the sweet spot for screen sizes is in the 4-4.5 inch range; considering that Apple has thus far obstinately refused to go bigger than 3.5 inches, Samsung has doubled down and gone with an even bigger 4.8 inch screen.
• S Voice.  Unlike the iPhone’s Siri, which requires you either to push a button or raise the device to your ear, certain voice commands activate the Galaxy S3 automatically.  Saying, “Hi, Galaxy!” for example, will activate the phone; you likewise have access to camera and volume controls, and perhaps most dangerously, sleeping in was never so easy now that all you have to do to snooze is say “snooze” to your phone’s alarm.
• Motion detection.  Sometimes texting isn’t convenient, and if you’re in a text conversation with someone, simply raise the phone to your ear and the device will automatically dial the person you’ve been writing.
• S Beam.  Data sharing has never been so easy.  “Bumping” phones has been around for a while, but Samsung says that S Beam will allow Galaxy S III phones to exchange big video and music files without even a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.
• Pop-up play.  One thing the iPhone has never been good at is multitasking.  The new Galaxy’s pop-up play feature allows you to watch videos anywhere on the screen while you’re doing other things.

Alas, the Galaxy S3 won’t be available for most of us until the summer, but it’s safe to say that there are exciting things on the horizon for entrepreneurs looking to develop mobile apps for this fantastic device.

Android fitness apps

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and everywhere around the country – or nearly everywhere, at any rate – people are opening up their windows to let in a bit of spring.  This is also the time when we look down at ourselves and realize precisely how much winter we’re carrying around our middles and (possibly) decide to do something about it.

The good news is that if you’re an Android user, there are plenty of mobile apps out there that can help you get back into fighting trim.  Here are a few that are worth giving a try:

1. Sit-ups.  There are as many abdominal workouts out there as there are fitness trainers, it seems, but at the end of the day, what matters is your own level of discipline.  This simple app doesn’t do anything particularly fancy, but if you stick to it, it could have you doing 250 consecutive sit-ups before you know it.
2. RunKeeper.  RunKeeper combines GPS tracking, map integration, music management, and more into a great mobile app that might just motivate you to take up running if you haven’t, and to improve your distances and times if you have.
3. Pocket Yoga.  If you’re having a bit of trouble with your flexibility, this mobile app by Rainfrog can help you open up the rusty gates.  Much like RunKeeper, Pocket Yoga also allows you to integrate your music library into your workout, as well as to track what exercises you’ve done.
4. MyFitnessPal.  If you’re looking for a great all-around fitness app to help you track what you eat, your weight, and your exercise regimen all in one, this app might just be for you.
5. JEFIT.  Give JEFIT a test drive if you’re interested in bulking up for a summer on the beach.  This app helps you develop a workout from hundreds of different exercises, as well as to keep a log of your progress.

And of course, if you’ve got an idea for a fitness app for Android, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll set you up with three free development quotes.  In the meantime, stay healthy!

Android App Development Costs

The first question on everyone’s mind when they undertake a mobile app development project is “How much will it cost?”  If you’ve been researching Android app development costs, you already know that it’s pretty difficult to get a straight answer from anyone.  As with most elements of mobile app development, you need to be specificto arrive at a definitive answer to the cost question.  In other words, don’t ask, “How much does it cost to develop an Android app?”  Instead, ask, “How much will it cost to develop this Android app?”  Here are some of the factors that affect cost:

1. Scale.  Is your app a simple wallpaper app, requiring little functionality and interactivity?  Or is it a sophisticated, graphically intense app requiring high-end user functionality?  This is the single most important factor to consider when estimating cost; depending on the scale, your app could cost as little as $1,000, or upwards of a quarter million dollars.
2. Platform.  At the moment, only three percent of the Android devices out there are using Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest operating system.  The most popular Android OS is Gingerbread, which is already two generations old (and about to be three).  Developing and testing your Android app only on the latest operating system might reduce costs, but could also lead to bugs and access issues once the Android app goes live.
3. Hourly or fixed?  If you’re new to Android app development, you’re probably unsure as to how to go about paying your developer.  The developers themselves will offer you either hourly or fixed rates; for our part, we very much recommend hiring a developer who offers a fixed rate—and we can set you up with three of them if you contact us.
4. Maintenance and updates.  Will your app require frequent updates?  If so, there’s good news and bad news:  the bad news is that your costs will rise.  The good news is that you probably won’t have to worry about updates unless the app itself is already turning a tidy profit.

Amazon’s App Store Shakes Things Up

It’s no secret that Android users are less willing than iOS users to shell out their hard-earned cash for premium mobile applications.  In keeping with the maxim that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, however, it turns out those same Android users are paying for those apps with battery life instead of cash, as their devices require at least twice as much power to run the ads that make the apps free in the first place.  In any event, with the relatively recent upgrades to the Kindle Fire and its enormous success as a mobile platform, Amazon is looking to shake up the Android universe significantly.

First, recent data suggests that users are considerably more willing to spend money on apps at Amazon’s app store.  According to the most recent Distimo report, 65% of Amazon’s apps are paid, as opposed to a mere 32% on Google’s Android Marketplace.  More importantly, however, it appears consumers are much more comfortable parting with their money when purchasing apps from Amazon.  Distimo’s sampling process is a difficult one to follow, but the bottom line is that paid apps earn more money at Amazon than they do at the Google Marketplace.  This is especially impressive considering that the total number of devices that can access Amazon’s app store is really quite small, relatively speaking.

Amazon has likewise been both quick and responsible when it comes to incorporating the in-app purchase model to the mobile apps that it offers.  While profitable, mobile apps using the in-app purchase model haven’t always received the best press.  Amazon only recently introduced in-app purchasing to its app store, but kept a tight rein on both the purchase process and the total purchasable amounts, presumably to avoid complaints about children maxing out their parents’ credit cards.  Just this week, however, Amazon felt sufficiently comfortable with its parental controls to drop the $20 maximum purchase limit.

In any event, Amazon’s entry into the mobile app market seems to be shaking things up in a good way, and that’s only good news for Android developers.

3 Android Success Stories

Every time we venture into the blogosphere for inspiration, we’re almost overcome by all the latest news and hype surrounding Apple’s App Store.  As TechCrunch recently noted, even the Android success stories tend to involve apps that were popular enough for Apple that they warranted multi-platform development.  However, if you’re a developer considering a product for Android, take heart; there are plenty of rags-to-riches stories out there that will warm your heart and keep you motivated.

1. Zlango.  This text-messaging app basically allows users to replace text with icons.  It’s fun, it’s goofy, and like most successful apps, it targets a specific demographic – young people, who are more comfortable than the rest of us are with their emoticons.  Zlango hit one million downloads in the first four months after its release, and today boasts over five million users worldwide.
2. Car Locator.  Developer Edward Kim was initially excited when this useful little app started earning about twenty dollars a day.  Just four months later, however, Car Locator was raking in about $13,000 a month.  This just goes to show that an experience as frustrating as looking for your car in an airport parking lot can be a source of highly profitable inspiration.  The best mobile apps out there are the ones that see to our little nagging needs.
3. Advanced Task Manager.  While it’s neither goofy nor sexy, Aaron La’s ninety-nine cent app manages smartphone tasks, closes unused applications, speeds up the phone, and maximizes battery life.  As of August 2011, this app had earned its developer $77,000, which is no mean feat in an Android market that struggles with its monetization models.  La used his app to arrive at some useful conclusions about the Android market:  1)  he should have started at a higher price point; 2)  much of his sales volume depended on releases and upgrades in new smartphones (the Droid in particular); and 3) the wild-west, open sourced nature of the Android market can lead to logistical headaches that affect sales significantly.  La concludes, reasonably, that the Android Market “is in desperate need of stabilization and easier payment options.”

So if you’re considering developing a mobile app for Android, it’s worth taking a closer look at these happy anecdotes; if it’s worked for others, it might just work for you?

Android continues to gain market share

Nielson reported last month that almost 50% of US mobile phone users had a smartphone.  Android devices lead the pack, with 48% of smartphone users.  This was the same figure reported by comScore in its report of mobile phone use trends for the three month period ending January 31, 2012.  According to the comScore report, both Android and iOS devices gained marketshare during that period, while RIM and Windows Phone devices lost ground.  RIM’s fourth quarter 2011 results were posted yesterday and the results aren’t pretty – a 19% drop in net revenue with a $125 million loss in the quarter.

As for tablets, Apple’s iPad still leads the way in sales, but Android tablets are making a run, gaining market share in the fourth quarter of 2011.  IDC reported that Android’s tablet market share grew in 2011, from 32.3% at the end of the third quarter to 44.6% to close the fourth quarter.  This growth was fueled by sales of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which runs on a custom version of the Android OS.  As noted by MacRumors, “IDC predicts that Android as a whole will overtake iOS in market share by 2015, but Apple’s single-vendor strategy will see the company maintain its dominance in revenue through the end of the 2016 forecast period and beyond.”

What’s it all mean for app developers?  Well, comScore’s report put the number of US smartphone users at over 100 million.  Although the numbers are a bit dated, Nielson reported last year that the average Android device has 35 apps.  According to Google, one billion Android apps are downloaded each month.  If you have an idea for an Android app, there’s not time like now to get busy developing it.

Do Developers Prefer Apple?

A new study by IDC in conjunction with the mobile development company Appcelerator arrived at the conclusion that Android’s popularity among mobile app developers has fallen lately.  Of the developers surveyed, 89% say they’re “very interested” in the iPhone (88% in the iPad), while 78.6% are “very interested” in developing for Android smartphones (66% for Android tablets).  These numbers certainly don’t seem game-breaking, but what’s alarming is that they represent a 5% decline from last quarter.

So what’s going on?  Much of it has to do with Android’s fragmentation problems, which are an inevitable by-product of Google’s open-source model.  Android’s operating system has been updated a total of seven times since 2009.  The first of these, Cupcake, is still functioning on a significant number of devices.  The Gingerbread OS, released at the end of 2010, operates on a much greater number of Android devices than the newer Ice Cream Sandwich.  With so many different operating systems still active, developers are uncertain as to which they ought to be optimizing their mobile apps for.

Android monetization is another significant factor in its diminishing popularity.  Some (mostly unreliable) data suggest that iOS apps earn more than Android apps, but what is certain is that Android monetization models are significantly different than the more straightforward iOS.  iTunes has been around for a while and iOS users are comfortable with the interface where they purchase their digital content.  Android doesn’t benefit from the pre-existing sales architecture and thus relies more heavily on freemium, in-app purchase, and advertising models.  While these models profitable, they are not quite as simple to quantify.

So what can Google do about it?  As we recently reported, Google has high expectations for its Jelly Bean OS and it will likewise have to look at the security issues inherent in the in-app advertising model.  In any event, Google is a creative and innovative company, so it’s unlikely that it will allow Android’s popularity to go into freefall.

Mobile App Games Level the Playing Field

With hundreds of thousands of apps available in the various app stores, it can be hard for the little guy to break away from the peloton.  A recent report published by Flurry Analytics, however, argues that in at least one area of mobile app development, the little guy is sitting pretty indeed.

According to the report, 68 percent of all games played on iOS and Android in the first quarter of 2012 were created by independent developers.  Flurry defines “independent developer” as those “who started their businesses on iOS and Android” as opposed to “established gaming companies who extended to iOS and Android from other platforms.”  Flurry notes that its numbers are proof positive that the mobile app industry has proved empowering for indie developers, and boldly concludes that Apple and Google have created “the most open, egalitarian market in the history of video games.”

But is the mobile gaming industry really the “great equalizer” they’re cracked up to be?  Chris Priestman of Indie Game Magazine is suspicious, noting that as a significant investor in the mobile industry, Flurry itself has quite a bit of skin in the game.  Priestman painstakingly parses the terminology in the press release, noting that Flurry is a bit coy when it comes to the specific definitions of “independent” and “established” gaming companies.  Flurry includes Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, THQ “and others” in its “established” category.  While companies like Rovio (whose Angry Birds franchise has been downloaded tens of millions of times) or Epic Games’ Infinity Blade (with its production staff of 108 technical advisors, graphic artists, animators, et cetera), would technically be considered “independent” under Flurry’s definition, many would be hard-pressed to refer to them as “the little guy.”  Additionally, Flurry’s data doesn’t appear to be based on total downloads, but rather on time spent playing, in which case those of us who spend hours trying to earn that third star on 5-11 of Angry Birds Rio might just be skewing the numbers a tad.

That said, even Priestman is forced to concede that “there is a rise this year in consumers playing indie games,” which is great news for start-ups.  So if you have an idea for an Android game, drop us a line!

Five Android Apps for Spring Break

The sun is shining, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and the days are getting longer.  It’s that time of year again, when many of us are taking off with our families for a week of fun in the sun or some time on the ski slopes.  If you’re one of those packing for a quick vacation, here are a few Android apps that will help your Spring break go a little more smoothly.

1. Gas Buddy.  Spring break is a time for road trips.  With the recent spike in gas prices, downloading an app like Gas Buddy can help ease the pain.  Gas Buddy is a free, crowd-sourced mobile app that can direct you to the cheapest gas in your area.  It also lets you accrue points if you upload gas prices that aren’t yet on the server.
2. Road Ninja.  Another free road trip app, Road Ninja lets you know what goods and services are available at over 30,000 highway exits nationwide.
3. Travel Money.  This free Android app tracks expenses for people traveling in groups and is thus especially useful for college students.  Don’t remember whose turn it is to pay gas?  Not sure who owes what for the hotel room?  Travel Money can sort out those issues effortlessly and make sure that nobody skips out on a bill.
4. SkiReport.  If you’re one of those vacationers hoping for one last wintry hurrah, SkiReport is here to help.  The Android version allows you to select your favorite ski trails, check up on nearby ski trails, and even keeps you up to date with powder alerts that direct you to the freshest snow around.
5. Spring Cleaning Apps.  If you’re not hitting the slopes or the beaches this year, you’re probably planning on throwing open the windows and letting in all the fresh air for some spring cleaning.  Apps like Organizing Your Home and House Maintenance Schedule can help you get your home up to scratch for the beginning of spring.

If you have an idea for a fair-weather app like these, drop us a line and we can help get you on your way to getting it in the store!

Are Android apps more expensive than iOS apps?

A white paper generated by the analytics firm ComScore last week contained some rather surprising numbers concerning the cost of Android mobile applications.  According to the report (PDF download), the top paid apps in the Android Market were “dramatically” more expensive than their equivalents at the Apple App Store.  The report prompted a handful of conclusive and unflattering headlines like PC Mag’s “Android Apps 2.5 Times Pricier Than iPhone Apps.”  The headline is true, provided you’re willing to take ComScore’s numbers, and its interpretation of those numbers, at face value.

According to ComScore, “In the U.S., to purchase the top 100 paid-for apps in the Android Market would cost $374.37 — an average of $3.74 per app.  The top 100 iPhone apps would cost $147.00, or $1.47 on average per app.”  The gap widens even further when only the top 20 apps are taken into account, averaging $1.04 for iOS apps compared to $4.09 for Android.

Not so fast, says ExtremeTech, which cried foul after taking a longer look at ComScore’s data and conclusions.  The problem lies in the nature of the data, which fails to factor in the high-priced outliers – $15-$20 office tool applications, for example – and thus skews the numbers considerably.  Additionally, only pay-once apps are taken into consideration, and free apps (of which Android has many) are completely ignored.

ExtremeTech’s Ryan Whitman is highly critical of ComScore’s decision to draw such startling conclusions from a statistic like the “average price of top 100 paid applications.” Whitman examined the same numbers and arrived at a significantly more restrained conclusion:  it’s not that Android apps are two and a half times more expensive in the aggregate, it’s just that there happens to be a handful of expensive Android apps that also happen to be popular.

The lesson here, whether you’re in the market for a new smartphone or not, it almost always pays to read past the headlines.