A recent study by Skyhook and research firm Yankee Group has put fourth new information on piracy and mobile operating systems. According to the latest intelligence Apple users traditionally download six times more paid apps then Android ones. The study also pointed out that in the USA apple users are downloading around 40 apps a year. One very telling bit of information was the lack of money developers for Android are garnering. A study of 75 prominent developers have all proclaimed that rampant piracy are effecting their bottom line.
Expanding on the 75 Android developers there was further information on how they view piracy and how it contributes to them making less money then their Apple peers. 27% state that piracy is a huge problem while 26% see it as “Somewhat of a problem.” They mainly cite Google as being too lax on restrictions and quality and control for their apps. In many cases the same apps are bundled under new names and different art and being resold. Piracy, statistically is costing each developer in excess of $10,000 in lost revenue each.
If you are involved in the Google Android scene it is almost too easy to download pirated applications. Half of the group polled said as much. You merely have to Google for APK installation files and often you can find them on file hosting websites. Torrents are also a blight on the industry as massive application depositories exist with thousands of high quality paid apps. Apple on the other hand is much harder to pirate applications for because you first have to Jailbreak your device and the company constant issues fixes to counter it.
via Yankee Group
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
