Apple iOS: 73% of New Mobile App Projects in Q4 2011

According to Flurry, Apple iOS still accounts for about there in four new mobile application projects, despite Google Chairman Eric Schmidt’s proclamation that “Android is ahead of iPhone now.”

With more than 55,000 companies utilizing Flurry Analytics across more than 135,000 applications, Flurry looked at new project starts in 2011, during which developers set up analytics for about 50,000 apps.

In the fourth quarter, Flurry estimates that 73 percent of new project starts on iOS and Android were created for iOS, while 27 percent were created for Android.

This compares to a 75/25 split in the third quarter, a 73/27 split in the second quarter and a 63/37 split in the first quarter of 2011.

“Over the year, developer support for Android has declined from more than one-third of all new projects, at the beginning of the year, down to roughly one-quarter by the end,” according to Flurry. The company noted two key events that triggered this shift: 1) Apple expanding distribution for iOS devices beyond AT&T to Verizon and Sprint; 2) the successful launches of iPad 2 and iPhone 4S.

Flurry also noted that the market “expanded aggressively” in the third quarter in anticipation of iPhone 4S and the holiday season. The holidays saw similarly increased activity in 2009 and 2010.

When it comes to money, developers say they make much more money on iOS than on Android – about four times as much. Flurry found that for every $1.00 generated by an app on iOS, $0.24 is generated on Android.

Though OS fragmentation and the lack of curation for the Android Market are well-known vulnerabilities of Android, “the largest single factor that appears to impact developer support for the platform is the consumer’s ability to pay,” which comes down to Google Checkout penetration, according to Flurry.

According to a sepearte survey from Pontiflex and Harris Interactive, just 3 percent of smartphone owners who have installed apps for incentives (e.g., free social or game points) say they use the app often. Meanwhile, 62 percent say they download the app to redeem the incentive and uninstall the app, or never use the app again.

The survey also found just 12 percent of U.S. smartphone owners and 24 percent of tablet owners prefer to pay for apps and not see any ads.

“However, also notable is that the user experience of in-app advertising is critical to its success,” according to the Pontiflex. “This survey found that 57% of smartphone owners and 50% of tablet owners prefer free apps with ads that keep them within the app, rather than a disruptive experience that pulls them to a mobile browser.”

Sources:

http://blog.flurry.com/bid/79061/App-Developers-Bet-on-iOS-over-Android-this-Holiday-Season

http://blog.pontiflex.com/2011/12/13/harrisinteractivesurveyresults/