The Phones Show 91 (App Stores)

News, plus a comparison of the three main smartphone application stores. Why the Nokia E75 means not being afraid. Plus the winner of the N97 competition announced.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• phones
• applications

[namtastic]

I really don't understand how Ovi gets 8 points for allowing you to re-download apps IN THEORY. You shouldn't award points to someone for what they *should* be doing but aren't.

This "theory" clearly factored into your score for Ovi's Application Updates (6 points), since there are NO mechanisms for this as is, you say this yourself -- and again, you can't re-download the app through the store if you read about an update in a blog or from a friend. In my book that's a big fat "0 points."

[stevelitchfield]

Yes you can. Nokia enabled re-downloads a week or two ago. It's worked for several apps that I've bought.

[gosekinz]

As someone working for an Apple Developer I can say the most frustrating thing about Apple's model is Apple itself. They truly stymie innovation. Another frustration is you spend months developing an application - thats several tens of thousands of dollars of effort - even if you manage to recoup your investment much more time is spent on support, since you have a larger install base.

What we tend to do now is bundle support with PRO versions and offer just a manual to the Lite versions.

[stevelitchfield]

All good points. But the fact remains that a software ecosystem can survive better with 500 really good, higher priced apps than with 50,000 cheap apps , of which only (say) 1500 are any good. A discussion for another time?

[weareborg]

Steve, I had replied to you above, but it must have gotten lost? Regardless, in due course a median price point will be reached. I'm a programmer myself + Symbian fan for 7+ years & a lot of the apps out there are total dross. The cream will rise to the top. The app store is consumer driven! But the current disparity between Apple & Nokia is staggering. EG - Adobe Reader LE 2,5, Symbian- $24, Good Reader, iPhone-79cents. Good Reader is light years ahead. I will buy from that dev again and again.

[weareborg]

Well, the app market is totally consumer driven. These people are making money through volume. If its good it will sell.

That's what will increase sales for the eco system in the long run.

Everyone is getting 'some' sort of smartphone as an upgrade & more critically, are now aware of what these phones can do, what an "OS" is, what an "app" is, etc etc,..This realization by average joe (or josephine) will see app sales continue to rise, & w/ no disrespect, some people programme complete dross.

[stevelitchfield]

Oh, sure, from the consumer's point of view. But what about the tens of 1000s of disillusioned iPhone developers who haven't made a bean. As an ex-programmer myself, I'd much rather be selling apps at £6 each, say. Would make for a more consistent ecosystem in the long run.

[weareborg]

Steve, re your app store artificial pricing point above, I have to disagree. The lower pricing of many of Apples app store apps is very attractive, especially for impulse buys, coupled with, most importantly, the volume sales. People are far more inclined to spend between 1 and 3 euro over something that's considerably more on another platform (that frankly in many cases doesn't look half as good).

The lower priced apps are selling in very large volumes offsetting their low price.

[MrJONKS]

funnt those films about n97, it seems like no body of producers has it, well the winner will see that it has poor keybord, poor gps, poor widget main screen, almost no free ram memory, it is very disapointing phone, im not sure that new FW will make it better.

[jonedk]

Fair comment Steve - but I'll accept 3rd :) Congrats to SenorQuijote!