Facebook-backed study claims default apps dominate on iPhone, Android
A new App Store study paid for by Facebook says that Apple and Google's own default apps dominate key categories, making it harder for third-party developers to compete.
App Store
Following its sponsoring of research to lambast App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14, Facebook has now paid for a separate examination of the App Store. This one claims that of the top 20 most-used iPhone apps, Apple makes 15.
Similarly, the study by Comscore claims that Google owns 12 of the top 20 most-used Android apps.
"[The study shows] the impact of preinstalled apps on the competitive app ecosystem," Joe Osborne, Comscore spokesperson said to The Verge.
Significantly, however, neither Apple nor Google publish usage data for their apps. As a result, Comscore's calculations are reportedly primarily based on a survey that is said to have asked around 4,000 users which apps they used.
The full report has not yet been released, and the only further detail about the survey is that respondents were asked during the month of November 2020. There is no breakdown of what proportion of users use iOS or Android, nor any demographic detail about the respondents.
Perhaps consequently, the data revealed so far contains oddities and anomalies. The most-used app on the iPhone, for instance, is said to be the Phone app --whereas no statistically significant number of Android respondents used their phones.
Extrapolating from the 4,000 respondents, Comscore reportedly also notes that some 78 million iPhone users have used the stock Calculator app on iOS. It claims that this is more than the number of Android users who use Gmail.
Purported top 20 apps on iPhone and Android. (Source: The Verge, Comscore)
Apple told The Verge that the survey was "seriously flawed in a number of ways," and also that its findings contradict other data from Comscore.
"This Facebook-financed survey from December 2020 was narrowly tailored to give the false impression that there's little competition on the App Store," continued the spokesperson. "In truth, third-party apps compete with Apple's apps across every category and enjoy large scale success."
Comscore's survey was conducted in December 2020, asking users about their use in November 2020. As of July 2021, the full report is not listed on Comscore's site.
In the interim, Apple has been facing rising criticism of its App Store policies.
Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast -- and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.
App Store
Following its sponsoring of research to lambast App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14, Facebook has now paid for a separate examination of the App Store. This one claims that of the top 20 most-used iPhone apps, Apple makes 15.
Similarly, the study by Comscore claims that Google owns 12 of the top 20 most-used Android apps.
"[The study shows] the impact of preinstalled apps on the competitive app ecosystem," Joe Osborne, Comscore spokesperson said to The Verge.
Significantly, however, neither Apple nor Google publish usage data for their apps. As a result, Comscore's calculations are reportedly primarily based on a survey that is said to have asked around 4,000 users which apps they used.
The full report has not yet been released, and the only further detail about the survey is that respondents were asked during the month of November 2020. There is no breakdown of what proportion of users use iOS or Android, nor any demographic detail about the respondents.
Perhaps consequently, the data revealed so far contains oddities and anomalies. The most-used app on the iPhone, for instance, is said to be the Phone app --whereas no statistically significant number of Android respondents used their phones.
Extrapolating from the 4,000 respondents, Comscore reportedly also notes that some 78 million iPhone users have used the stock Calculator app on iOS. It claims that this is more than the number of Android users who use Gmail.
Purported top 20 apps on iPhone and Android. (Source: The Verge, Comscore)
Apple told The Verge that the survey was "seriously flawed in a number of ways," and also that its findings contradict other data from Comscore.
"This Facebook-financed survey from December 2020 was narrowly tailored to give the false impression that there's little competition on the App Store," continued the spokesperson. "In truth, third-party apps compete with Apple's apps across every category and enjoy large scale success."
Comscore's survey was conducted in December 2020, asking users about their use in November 2020. As of July 2021, the full report is not listed on Comscore's site.
In the interim, Apple has been facing rising criticism of its App Store policies.
Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast -- and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.
Comments
is.
Does it not occur to them that Apple’s apps are one of the things we pay for when we buy an iPhone?
it would be removed anyway from the users
Wrong business model Zuck!
Remember his “Facebook Phone” a few years ago, who Zuckerberg proudly announced it as the iPhone killer.
But this phone was a real disaster.
One of the reasons why I buy iPhone is because of the privacy offered in Safari. You can’t get Safari on a different mobile device. So if other browsers are butt hurt because I prefer the built in browser over their offerings then that’s their problem.
Tomorrow a study funded by Phillip Morris will say that smoking is good for you.
Here's the deal. Facebook wants it users (the compliant herd that's longing to be milked for personal info) to be able to purchase an Apple iPhone with Facebook's apps preinstalled on the phones. This is not a problem at all. All Facebook has to do is to purchase as many iPhones as needed to serve their herd, install their own apps on said phones, and then resell these phones to their herd. Nothing illegal, immoral, or even vaguely weird or underhanded going on. Buying an iPhone from Facebook should be no different than buying an iPhone from Best Buy, Micro Center, AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
Facebook could even open brick & mortar stores to sell Facebookified iPhones to their herd. A walk-in store would afford Facebook with a perfect opportunity to collect DNA samples, fingerprints, height, weight, retinal scan, and a current picture of each herd member and maybe even install a tracking microchip in the user's arm. This would nicely round out Facebook's data catalog and further enrich the quality of life for each herd member. They would squeal with delight. Maybe Facebook would install a wallpaper on their Facebookified iPhones that feature a picture or a cartoon likeness (can anyone distinguish one from the other?) of their messiah, the chief Zuckersapian himself, on each phone so buyers are one step closer to full Facebook enlightenment.
As long as everything installed on the Facebookified iPhones is fully legit and performed through Apple's App Store, what is the problem? This model closely mirrors what's already being done to support iPhone and iPad sales through telecommunication carriers to provide cellular connectivity services. Why not expand the model to support other "services" like sharing all of your personal information with the world, i.e., Facebook and Google, entertainment services like Spotify and Disney, or services that teach your kids how to bankrupt the family's finances (preinstalled catalog of games with in-app games purchases with parental consent turned off by default).
I'm kidding about some of this, but on the main point of allowing third parties to sell Apple devices preloaded with fully legitimate apps that are targeted for specific third party service providers who are catering to a specific audience, I'm very serious. Apple sells more phones, people who want a "tailored" experience out of the gate can get it, and maybe some of these lawsuits go away. What are the downsides?