Android Overtakes Apple in Australia

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/android-overtakes-apple-in-australia-20121212-2b8q2.html

by nreece • 14 years ago

67 47 14 years ago

theage.com.au

spo81rty• 14 years ago

I see a lot about Android having a high market share. I've seen numbers like 70-75%. But I think Apple buyers are more affluent and buy more apps even though their market share is only 20%. A lot of people who used to have feature phones or buy the cheapest pre paid phones they can get, now get android phones. Virgin Mobile has one for like $60 my in-laws have. So my point is, while the high android market share is there, as an app developer, the market share in relation to app usage and spend is still skewed towards Apple for now.

batiudrami• 14 years ago

At the same time, I don't see very many iPhone 5s around - I only know one person who has one (though they can be difficult to differentiate from the 4/4S), whereas it seems like everyone has a Galaxy S2 or S3.

The S2 really caught on in Australia due to some very agressive pricing. I'd say I see as many S2/S3s around as iPhones (and probably more than iPhone amongst younger people). They're everywhere.

That being said, there is an additional layer of difficulty when it comes to purchasing apps on Android that iPhone doesn't have - most people had an iPod and one point and have an iTunes store account set up already, possibly with some credit already on it (ITMS gift cards were popular presents for a while). Play store requires you to enter your credit card on a new account, which I suspect is a significant barrier to app purchases for many people, out of caution or laziness.

Also, due to the more technical nature of the Android developer crowd, with the exception of games, there is almost always a free equivalent to paid apps which are as good or almost as good.

beamso2• 14 years ago

The iPhone 5 was very difficult to walk in and buy without taking out a two year contract (the Apple Retail Store reservation system was a raffle). It only got better within the past two weeks. You can walk in and buy at an Apple Retail Store, and others like JB and DSE are selling the 16GB model outright.

bad_user2• 14 years ago

I'm not from Australia, but I got a Google account with a credit card before getting an iTunes account, even though I owned an iPod for years before getting an Android. It's true nonetheless that iTunes has more people hooked up because of iPods, but it's only a temporary problem and I don't really think there are many young people with a credit card anyway.

On the technical nature of Android developers and free equivalents, personally I tend to get paid apps.

For instance I bought "Extreme Call Blocker", because blocking calls and SMS messages is difficult as Android's APIs for it are private and I couldn't find a free app that worked well. I also got "GreenPower Premium" for saving battery, because such an app saves you money (I needed more battery life and the alternative would have been to replace my phone). I also bought "Paper Camera" because it's a fun app and cheaper than one coffee.

In truth there aren't many free apps that are worthwhile, most of the useful ones being clients of online services.

btilly2• 14 years ago

There is a lot of data supporting your claim.

But the key point is for now. Given current market trends, in the not too distant future there will be more money in Android. (Particularly since you don't need to give Apple a 30% cut.)

luke_s2• 14 years ago

Actually if you want to sell apps through the Google play store you still need to give google a 30% cut [1]. With android you always do have the option to try through other app stores, or just allowing users to download the .apk from your website. However given how few people actually look anywhere else but the play store, you are going to take a hit much larger than 30% if you are not in google play.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play#Applications

d5tryr• 14 years ago

The Google Play store charges developers with the same the 30% cut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play#Applications

sbuk• 14 years ago

Can we address this '30% cut' stuff? You are not blithely giving Apple or Google 30% of your 'profit', the 'cut' is actually a fee for hosting, distribution, license management, payment processing, possibly more and yes, a small amount of operating profit. If you sell your app on your own, you'll have to cover those costs yourself.

untog• 14 years ago

While I think you're right about average app expenditure, when we're talking about a 70-75% market share, I think the sheer numbers outweigh that.

I know that some time back there were complains that the Android Market wasn't making anyone money, but I think that's changed these days. And Samsung appear to be doing a great job of marketing a premium Android phone that will attract big spenders.

taligent• 14 years ago

None of what you said is true.

Firstly the market share does not automatically translate into more app sales. http://www.androidauthority.com/developer-economics-128916/

Secondly having Samsung in the market means nothing. It's the ability to sideload apps that is reason for the high piracy rate and less willingness to pay for apps.

JuDue5• 14 years ago

True, not every Android phone is positioning itself as a powerhouse smart device.

As such, buying a cheap Android device today may not tell us much about OS loyalty?

May be a mute point.

Windows saturated the world for decades and people just used it because it swamped them of choice..... that still worked very much in Microsofts favour, and may ultimately mean Android/Adsense wins.

codeka3• 14 years ago

Australians have always been big Apple users, in my experience. Despite seeing statistics showing increasing share of Android, I always only ever saw Apple devices on the bus/train. Not very scientific, I know, but I have noticed more and more Android devices whenever I'm on the train in recent months.

kaliblack• 14 years ago

I see the same thing, but here's some numbers to back up what we're seeing: http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_os-AU-monthly-201112-20121...

The jaws are closing, but slowly.

freakyterrorist• 14 years ago

Does this really surprise anyone? The cheapest you can buy an iPhone (4 outright) is $450AUD and contracted plans with newer iPhones start at around $50-60AUD per month. Android are outright starting at $49 and available at all spend levels on plans.

To be honest what's surprising is it took this long...

codeka3• 14 years ago

> To be honest what's surprising is it took this long...

I agree. I think this goes to show just how much Australians are willing to pay for technology in general. It's a shame that we get shafted on a lot of technology/electronics but the fact is that people are willing to pay.

jbarham• 14 years ago

Speaking as a Canadian transplant to Australia via the US, the Australian mobile market is actually quite competitive compared to the US or Canada.

There are more operators relative to the population, there are more shorter-term plans (i.e., 1 year vs. 2 or 3) and the monthly rates are decent.

DigitalSea2• 14 years ago

I wonder if this has something to do with the economy? Apple devices are expensive while on the contrary, you can get a prepaid Android phone starting at $49 in Australia with a camera and ability to download apps. I'm surprised it's taken this long, we always pay twice sometimes three times more than our American counterparts for shiny Apple gadgets (let alone everything else), I guess the appeal of Apple products are starting to become lost on us Aussies.

beamso2• 14 years ago

Apple's pricing in Australia is generally very competitive. I know for laptops you pay significantly more in Australia for brands like Lenovo (in comparison with their USA pricing).

mwill5• 14 years ago

On iPhone pricing in Australia, can someone let me know if this is a contract thing, like hidden costs on the US version, because the US store lists the cheapest iPhone 5 as $199, where the AU store lists it as $799. $199USD =~ $189AUD.

On the face of it it seems pretty unfair, is there something I'm missing?

damncabbage• 14 years ago

On the contrary, I saved a couple of hundred dollars by getting a Macbook Pro from Japan. There's an Inquiry going on right now into IT-related pricing by Apple, Adobe and Microsoft:

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w...

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2012/04/15/parliamentary...

inflatablenerd• 14 years ago

Apple is still expensive, but the whole "Apple Tax" meme is a myth. We pay barely more than GST than the US for Apple products, which are also never advertised with sales tax. http://anthonywrites.posterous.com/apple-tax-for-australians...

I think it's more to do with, like you said, Android phones covering such a huge spectrum of the market. Also that flagship models are often hugely discounted. Australian's love bargains.

gshahlot• 14 years ago

I am not sure why exactly is this a big deal and even surprising. Apple's iOS sells on limited hardware and they do a release annually or lately semi-annually. On the other hand, there is a new worthy Android device coming out every two weeks from big shots like Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson to name a few. So it was only a matter of time before Android caught up with iOS and captured the market.

jwhite• 14 years ago

For those who missed it, this is the most important paragraph in the article:

"It's a tablet Christmas there's no doubt about that," said Ben Mcintosh, general manager of technology and entertainment at Harvey Norman. "There is no doubt in my mind that we will sell out of just about every tablet we have in stock by the end of the month."

I'd better go out and get mine before they run out!

See: http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

JimmaDaRustla2• 14 years ago

This makes me happy since Apple made Samsung miss out on sales last holiday season.

JuDue5• 14 years ago

Samsung made itself miss out.

JimmaDaRustla2• 14 years ago

Reasoning required.

JuDue5• 14 years ago

Android is the new Feature Phone in some ways (as well as high end models too).

Google always intended saturation to prop up their Ad model.

Interesting to hear stirrings of Apple iterating faster.

Apple already pwn the market profit-wise. But do they need to fend of a competitive OS which aims to saturate?

Or can they live side by side? And nudge out Windows phone together?

Android Overtakes Apple in Australia

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