Clash of the Titans – Android Market Versus App Store

This is a post from Rohitesh Naik. Rohit is a freelance writer and an Internet Marketer who presently writes about the Upcoming Verizon Phones. It includes all the news and updates about New Verizon Phones. There has been a lot of discussion lately about the differences between Apple’s iPhone and phones based on Google’s Android. While these discussions typically center on hardware, usability and the operating system, they rarely discuss the differences between the Android Market Versus App Store. There are a number of differences between the two, some of which primarily matter to end-users and others that matter primarily to developers.

Android Market Versus App Store

Open versus Closed System

The single biggest difference between the Android Market and the Apple App Store is the difference between an open and a closed system.Apple’s system is a closed one. Applications must be submitted to Apple for review and Apple ultimately decides what may or may not be sold in the Apple App Store. In contrast, Android market is an open system. Developers can directly publish their applications to the market without having them filtered through a central authority. This means that the Android market is likely to have a greater variety of applications and content but end-users have to accept that the applications are not being screened. There is a definite trade off. The Android Market does support a community rating and comments section, however which helps buffer against poorly designed or malicious applications.

Refunds

Another big difference between the Android market and the Apple App Store deals with paid applications. The former allows an end user to obtain a refund by uninstalling the application within 24 hours of purchase. This makes it much safer as an end user to purchase an application. If you buy an app that does not work properly or does not seem to meet your need, uninstall it within 24 hours and you get a full refund. The Apple App Store does not offer refunds on applications, so while the applications are screened by Apple, it is still buyer beware. You need to make sure an application will meet your needs before you purchase it.

Developer Initiation Fee

Another notable feature that distinguishes the two stores is how much it costs a developer to join. The Android market charges a fee of $25 to sign up as a developer and publish apps in the market. The Apple App Store charges $99 to become a developer. Keep in mind that paying this fee does not mean your application will get added to the app store. Apple reviews all applications and paying the fee does not guarantee that the app will be published. Both markets charge 30% of any paid applications sales. Apple retains this 30% while Google pays it to the wireless carriers to ensure greater cooperation from and adoption by wireless carriers for Android.

Competition

For a developer trying to get a new application noticed, there is less competition in the Android market. Currently Android Market hosts about 20,000 applications while the Apple App Store has over 100000 applications. There is a lot more room for new and innovative applications in the Android market.

Conclusion

The differences between the Android Market and the App Store matters to both developers and end users. Being an open ended system and offering refunds to end users makes the Android market a great asset for end users. The openness ensures a greater variety of offerings and the ability to get a refund makes trying a paid application a low risk venture. Android offers a lower cost to get started and an arena with much less competition for developers to make their application stand out.