Piracy problems undermine Android's growth against iPhone
Despite strong growth in first half of 2010, Google's Android platform is still not attractive to commercial development because of rampant app piracy and limitation in security and international sales through Google's store.
According to a report by Jay Yarow of Silicon Alley Insider, a developer of one of Android's top ten apps is seeing 97 percent of players in Asia using an illegal copy, 70 percent in Europe, and 43 percent in North America.
The game, named Radiant, sells for just $2.40 but Android users find it more attractive to pirate the game, given that its so easy on the Android platform to steal developers' work without paying anything. Google's planned solution is to allow developers to phone home at regular intervals to determine if they're pirated or not, shutting down if they're deemed to be pirated.
Apple's iOS App Store simply ties purchased apps to the user's iTunes account, making piracy difficult enough for casual users to prefer to actually buy apps instead, without any phone home authorization steps. The fact that most iPhone apps are priced low means that developers can make money in volume sales, because most apps aren't being pirated. Piracy largely prevented mobile software from ever being viable prior to Apple's App Store.
Problems beyond piracy
Creating a legitimate software business on the Android platform is difficult not just because of rampant piracy but also because Google only supports paid app sales in 13 of the 46 countries it is available from: Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.
Apple supports paid downloads for third party App Store developers in 90 countries around the world. Globally, Apple has an installed base that's at least four times larger than Android, thanks in part to iPod touch and iPad users. Even in the US, where three of the top four mobile carriers can't carry the iPhone, Apple's smartphone still has an installed base twice the size of Android, even before counting other iOS devices.
That adds up to a commercially attractive installed base of buyers that is far more alluring to developers than the hobbyist-oriented Android Market, where more apps are distributed for free and supported by ads than any other mobile platform, according to Distimo.
Apple's App Store features the least expensive apps on average across its top 100 apps than another other platform, but also features a high average price in its top grossing applications, demonstrating both a viable market for low priced volume apps as well as specialty apps that can command a higher price.
In addition to its limited reach globally, Google's Android Market has also come under assault from top Android developers for allowing widespread copyright infringement, sloppy policies regarding app approval, poor security for users' data, and allowing developers to collect inappropriate information from users without their consent.
The jailbreak threat to Apple's App Store
Because of the huge volume of real app sales in iTunes, Apple can attract the attention of developers well beyond its core Mac platform. Other vendors are working hard to copy Apple's success, but the company is also threatened by efforts to expand jailbreaking.
A recent exploit in Apple's PDF rendering software that allows a web-based crack of the iPhone's security system threatens to expose a large number of users to the ease of app piracy.
If the company does not act to better secure its iOS, it may lose its early lead in offering a viable market for developers and end up with the same listings of rarely updated, low quality hobbyist mobile software that makes up the majority of competing mobile software markets.
According to a report by Jay Yarow of Silicon Alley Insider, a developer of one of Android's top ten apps is seeing 97 percent of players in Asia using an illegal copy, 70 percent in Europe, and 43 percent in North America.
The game, named Radiant, sells for just $2.40 but Android users find it more attractive to pirate the game, given that its so easy on the Android platform to steal developers' work without paying anything. Google's planned solution is to allow developers to phone home at regular intervals to determine if they're pirated or not, shutting down if they're deemed to be pirated.
Apple's iOS App Store simply ties purchased apps to the user's iTunes account, making piracy difficult enough for casual users to prefer to actually buy apps instead, without any phone home authorization steps. The fact that most iPhone apps are priced low means that developers can make money in volume sales, because most apps aren't being pirated. Piracy largely prevented mobile software from ever being viable prior to Apple's App Store.
Problems beyond piracy
Creating a legitimate software business on the Android platform is difficult not just because of rampant piracy but also because Google only supports paid app sales in 13 of the 46 countries it is available from: Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.
Apple supports paid downloads for third party App Store developers in 90 countries around the world. Globally, Apple has an installed base that's at least four times larger than Android, thanks in part to iPod touch and iPad users. Even in the US, where three of the top four mobile carriers can't carry the iPhone, Apple's smartphone still has an installed base twice the size of Android, even before counting other iOS devices.
That adds up to a commercially attractive installed base of buyers that is far more alluring to developers than the hobbyist-oriented Android Market, where more apps are distributed for free and supported by ads than any other mobile platform, according to Distimo.
Apple's App Store features the least expensive apps on average across its top 100 apps than another other platform, but also features a high average price in its top grossing applications, demonstrating both a viable market for low priced volume apps as well as specialty apps that can command a higher price.
In addition to its limited reach globally, Google's Android Market has also come under assault from top Android developers for allowing widespread copyright infringement, sloppy policies regarding app approval, poor security for users' data, and allowing developers to collect inappropriate information from users without their consent.
The jailbreak threat to Apple's App Store
Because of the huge volume of real app sales in iTunes, Apple can attract the attention of developers well beyond its core Mac platform. Other vendors are working hard to copy Apple's success, but the company is also threatened by efforts to expand jailbreaking.
A recent exploit in Apple's PDF rendering software that allows a web-based crack of the iPhone's security system threatens to expose a large number of users to the ease of app piracy.
If the company does not act to better secure its iOS, it may lose its early lead in offering a viable market for developers and end up with the same listings of rarely updated, low quality hobbyist mobile software that makes up the majority of competing mobile software markets.
Comments
It's just a sad fact, like it or not, people just can't handle freedom
I suppose the real question is why? Has Daniel Eran Dilger got so little confidence in the iPhone that he feels it cannot stand on its own two feet and he must attack the competition to compensate? I have an iPhone. I bought it because I thought it was the best smartphone. I do not need articles like this to try and help me justify my purchase.
Please stop with these anti Google, anti Android articles and anti Microsoft articles and start posting more articles about Apple products. Thank you.
FIOS
>>>>>>>>
i am flying thru space 5 6 7 pages going at once
>>>>>>>>
I really hate these pirates . It really kills the incentive for creative types to create !!!!!
peace
9
Hey! It's 'open source' and with that comes a certain degree of inherent 'freedom' for many users... Sad but true.
They are on about thieves in the night stealing apps for free.
But you completely ignore the post what? a WEEK ago? Where Google created a new anti-piracy measure (free for devs) for their apps, allowing them to "sign" them, and have those purchases checked against Android Market Records. Seriously, if you're going to report about android piracy, at least report what android is doing to prevent it.
Seriously, this is an APPLE BLOG. Stop posting about stuff not apple as 1) it has nothing to do with your products 2) you arn't taking the time to research the content, so you're making yourself look bad.
And Android apps have ALWAYS been linked to their gmail/google checkout account. The reason why piracy (up till now) was so easy for android was because of Google return policy, and the ability of android phones to install third party applications via sideloading. So an asshole could purchase an app on a phone, use a program like astro to "back it up." and then refund the purchase and install from the backup.
They then take the .apk (the app) and upload it to a warez site for others to install the same way.
This is negated by the new measure, which gives app authors the ability to make the app check the store at given intervals to make sure the Google account it's running on actually has a purchased version of the app.
If you're going to post a story, actually post a story. Don't just find the worst tidbit and harp on that while ignoring the actions ALREADY TAKEN to try and close the exploit you're talking on.
Wow, Daniel Eran Dilger is going all out with his anti-Android articles. He currently is averaging at least one every day. At this rate there'll soon be more Android news on this site than Apple news. In fact so far today there are two Android articles but only one related to the Mac (and that is about Microsoft Office).
I suppose the real question is why? Has Daniel Eran Dilger got so little confidence in the iPhone that he feels it cannot stand on its own two feet and he must attack the competition to compensate? I have an iPhone. I bought it because I thought it was the best smartphone. I do not need articles like this to try and help me justify my purchase.
Please stop with these anti Google, anti Android articles and anti Microsoft articles and start posting more articles about Apple products. Thank you.
Whine whine whine whine. If you don't like his writing, read your apple news elsewhere. Articles comparing apples ios to competing operating systems make perfect sense for an apple blog. He's talking about Apples industry. Also, he's pointing out a valid point, not just aimlessly trashing android. Android has some benefits, but also has some problems, just like any system will.
Other activities, such as SIM unlocks, pirating of games, unfettered application control, etc., are considerably less cut and dry. Then the aspect of Apple's control over the platform comes in. How would we feel if Adobe started contributing to the Dev Team, and made a Flash app repository? If there is Flash on the iPhone, web applications have less pressure on them to improve platform independence. Is that good or bad..?
Of course, this is vintage Dilger anti-Android in action. But the more he does this, the less credible he becomes I suppose. Unless the reader's blinkers are permanently affixed, that is.
But I'm sure AI will milk his spin for all it's worth because the hits just keep on coming.
Wow, Daniel Eran Dilger is going all out with his anti-Android articles. He currently is averaging at least one every day. At this rate there'll soon be more Android news on this site than Apple news. In fact so far today there are two Android articles but only one related to the Mac (and that is about Microsoft Office).
I suppose the real question is why? Has Daniel Eran Dilger got so little confidence in the iPhone that he feels it cannot stand on its own two feet and he must attack the competition to compensate? I have an iPhone. I bought it because I thought it was the best smartphone. I do not need articles like this to try and help me justify my purchase.
Please stop with these anti Google, anti Android articles and anti Microsoft articles and start posting more articles about Apple products. Thank you.
Perfectly valid (and I might add, interesting) article.
If you don't like articles like these, go somewhere else to get your Apple news.
Perfectly valid (and I might add, interesting) article.
If you don't like articles like these, go somewhere else to get your Apple news.
Except it's not an article - "article" would imply balance which this piece lacks. For instance, the headline might more properly be "Despite Android's 886% growth TYT, some enterprise security issues may hold back adoption." or words to that effect.
And as another poster pointed out, the very issue that Dilger uses to justify his headline has apparently been mitigated if not rendered moot already.
So either Dilger is being deliberately disingenuous (again) or he's incompetent.
I know which one I believe is the correct answer.
Most other contributors to the news page are more even handed in their pieces (except "Slash Lane" who appears to be a DED alias anyway), so getting news from AI is often informative and thought provoking. Dilger is an Apple flack, a click-baiting uber-apologist. As long as he posts rubbish like this, I'll feel entitled to call him on it.
But if you enjoy his offerings, then my opinions obviously won't change that.
So you make a post about this...
But you completely ignore the post what? a WEEK ago? Where Google created a new anti-piracy measure (free for devs) for their apps, allowing them to "sign" them, and have those purchases checked against Android Market Records. Seriously, if you're going to report about android piracy, at least report what android is doing to prevent it.
Seriously, this is an APPLE BLOG. Stop posting about stuff not apple as 1) it has nothing to do with your products 2) you arn't taking the time to research the content, so you're making yourself look bad.
And Android apps have ALWAYS been linked to their gmail/google checkout account. The reason why piracy (up till now) was so easy for android was because of Google return policy, and the ability of android phones to install third party applications via sideloading. So an asshole could purchase an app on a phone, use a program like astro to "back it up." and then refund the purchase and install from the backup.
They then take the .apk (the app) and upload it to a warez site for others to install the same way.
This is negated by the new measure, which gives app authors the ability to make the app check the store at given intervals to make sure the Google account it's running on actually has a purchased version of the app.
If you're going to post a story, actually post a story. Don't just find the worst tidbit and harp on that while ignoring the actions ALREADY TAKEN to try and close the exploit you're talking on.
Good points (and likely to be ignored here). It's not really about how much piracy stunts Android's 10-fold YTY growth -- rather, the purpose of this and similar articles is to create negative attitudes towards opening up of Apple's ecosystem through the legalized jailbreaking. Android is simply being used as a scarecrow, much like the virus-ridden Windows.
Except it's not an article - "article" would imply balance which this piece lacks. For instance, the headline might more properly be "Despite Android's 886% growth TYT, some enterprise security issues may hold back adoption." or words to that effect.
And as another poster pointed out, the very issue that Dilger uses to justify his headline has apparently been mitigated if not rendered moot already.
So either Dilger is being deliberately disingenuous (again) or he's incompetent.
I know which one I believe is the correct answer.
Most other contributors to the news page are more even handed in their pieces (except "Slash Lane" who appears to be a DED alias anyway), so getting news from AI is often informative and thought provoking. Dilger is an Apple flack, a click-baiting uber-apologist. As long as he posts rubbish like this, I'll feel entitled to call him on it.
But if you enjoy his offerings, then my opinions obviously won't change that.
Since when do articles by definition HAVE to be balanced?? At what point were the Watergate articles - balanced? Or any other article???? Really?
And app signing is only part of the answer - note also that Google is piece-mealing Android solutions, not developing a coherent approach - its patchwork and a hell of a way to manage a platform as promising as Android is. I wasn't at all sanguine about Google buying up Android in the first place, but all the fanboys are blinkered by the flow of money into building it out rapidly to keep adding features. The problem for Android smartphone owners beyond the obvious ones are the slow uptake of revisions by the carriers being pushed out to the existing base, and the need to constantly buy new hardware to keep up with the revisions. I am concerned that Android will go the way of netbooks - a flooded market with lots of units, but little brand loyalty to Android itself.
Oh wait. Sorry. I forgot completely about the actual short answer to your entry: UserCP>Edit ignore list>Chopper>Save. All taken care of.
So you make a post about this...
But you completely ignore the post what? a WEEK ago? Where Google created a new anti-piracy measure (free for devs) for their apps, allowing them to "sign" them, and have those purchases checked against Android Market Records. Seriously, if you're going to report about android piracy, at least report what android is doing to prevent it.
Seriously, this is an APPLE BLOG. Stop posting about stuff not apple as 1) it has nothing to do with your products 2) you arn't taking the time to research the content, so you're making yourself look bad.
And Android apps have ALWAYS been linked to their gmail/google checkout account. The reason why piracy (up till now) was so easy for android was because of Google return policy, and the ability of android phones to install third party applications via sideloading. So an asshole could purchase an app on a phone, use a program like astro to "back it up." and then refund the purchase and install from the backup.
They then take the .apk (the app) and upload it to a warez site for others to install the same way.
This is negated by the new measure, which gives app authors the ability to make the app check the store at given intervals to make sure the Google account it's running on actually has a purchased version of the app.
If you're going to post a story, actually post a story. Don't just find the worst tidbit and harp on that while ignoring the actions ALREADY TAKEN to try and close the exploit you're talking on.
There is just one major flaw with Google's anti-piracy strategy: it conflicts with their upgrade strategy. This measure won't be able to be used on the vast majority of current Android devices, as they will never see software upgrades to future versions of Android. And developers are clearly going to use the anti-piracy functions (it would be stupid if they didn't) which locks out their software to at minimum the release which introduced this fix.
So you make a post about this...
But you completely ignore the post what? a WEEK ago? Where Google created a new anti-piracy measure (free for devs) for their apps, allowing them to "sign" them, and have those purchases checked against Android Market Records. Seriously, if you're going to report about android piracy, at least report what android is doing to prevent it.
Seriously, this is an APPLE BLOG. Stop posting about stuff not apple as 1) it has nothing to do with your products 2) you arn't taking the time to research the content, so you're making yourself look bad.
And Android apps have ALWAYS been linked to their gmail/google checkout account. The reason why piracy (up till now) was so easy for android was because of Google return policy, and the ability of android phones to install third party applications via sideloading. So an asshole could purchase an app on a phone, use a program like astro to "back it up." and then refund the purchase and install from the backup.
They then take the .apk (the app) and upload it to a warez site for others to install the same way.
This is negated by the new measure, which gives app authors the ability to make the app check the store at given intervals to make sure the Google account it's running on actually has a purchased version of the app.
If you're going to post a story, actually post a story. Don't just find the worst tidbit and harp on that while ignoring the actions ALREADY TAKEN to try and close the exploit you're talking on.
What I LOVE are the apologists who come and say - "well that was taken care of a week ago" (app signing), which has actually been a solution available for the entire life of Android - but they CHOSE not to do it - until problems cropped up. This is of course is natural as Android is such a new OS - oh wait it's "older than iOS" isn't it. Because if they had enforced app signing to begin with they couldn't have crowed about being COMPLETELY OPEN. Yeah. SO much better.
For the average consumer the whole freedom meme is a complete and idiotic wash - it's only chanted by the leets who are the current wave of Android champions - and who incidentally LOVE the intensely robotic Droid commercials as well. No, Google is smart and they will drive as much uptake of Android as they can to support their entry into the mobile space ad business, and then spin it off to play with the rest of the Open Source community. Android is being used and abused by Google and the leets are loving every minute of it, because the rest of Linux is languishing under the Windows hegemony. This is the last great hope for those who want to see any variant of Linux gain significant marketshare in any space. THIS is why Android must succeed and gain more marketshare than Apple. Except Apple isn't about marketshare, it's about profits - something Android developers aren't seeing a whole lot of right now.
Oh, wait....
That at least is consistent
Whine whine whine whine. If you don't like his writing, read your apple news elsewhere. Articles comparing apples ios to competing operating systems make perfect sense for an apple blog. He's talking about Apples industry. Also, he's pointing out a valid point, not just aimlessly trashing android. Android has some benefits, but also has some problems, just like any system will.
Absolutely Android has some benefits but also some problems, and that's a valid point.
It's just that Daniel's articles are a significant different quality to the rest of AppleInsider.
They are
- longer & highly detailed
- usually highly researched
- full of very pro-Apple spin
AI was more about sorting out likely rumours and expanding on those with insight, and articles about the future of Apple generally. My favourite place to go for a great insight into where things are going.Perfectly valid (and I might add, interesting) article.
If you don't like articles like these, go somewhere else to get your Apple news.
Yes it's interesting, but I truly believe that a balanced article does more to support Apple than a biased one.
I know you weren't responding to me - but Daniel came late to AppleInsider. I read his roughlydrafted website too though, knowing the bias. I just now have to be careful that if an AI article says "Android having trouble with X" if it's the main crew I know Android is truly having trouble, if it's Daniel then it's his strongly held opinion.
Except it's not an article - "article" would imply balance which this piece lacks. For instance, the headline might more properly be "Despite Android's 886% growth TYT, some enterprise security issues may hold back adoption." or words to that effect.
And as another poster pointed out, the very issue that Dilger uses to justify his headline has apparently been mitigated if not rendered moot already.
So either Dilger is being deliberately disingenuous (again) or he's incompetent.
He's just a huge fan of Apple.
I have just always found that telling both sides is more useful.
It is a preference though.
Since when do articles by definition HAVE to be balanced?? At what point were the Watergate articles - balanced? Or any other article???? Really?
Fair enough. For me, it's just my expectation of AppleInsider, and managing that.
I'd actually be perfectly happy if his articles were highlighted in some way - they are quite different to other AI articles.