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Posts tagged with "app store"

App Store Search Results Get “Quick Look” Previews

As first noticed by iSpazio [Google Translation], it appears Apple has introduced sometime earlier today a new “quick look” preview feature for App Store search results on iTunes. When searching for apps in the desktop application, in fact, users are now able to click on a small “i” button next to an app’s icon to get a modal preview with additional information about the app. The new preview window organizes Description, What’s New and Screenshots in multiple tabs, and separates iPhone screenshots from iPad screenshots when the app is universal, as with the example above.

You can try the new app preview system by starting a new search in iTunes (here’s a search for Instapaper).

Personally, I believe this minor addition greatly improves usability and app discovery in iTunes. Not only it makes app descriptions more readable (it’s easier to scan information and changelog with tabs), it also allows users to browse top charts and categories without having to go back and forth between the main results and a single app page (often losing view options like “sort by release date” in the refresh process). Recently, Apple also introduced a minor update to the iPad App Store that made swiping through apps more intuitive.

World of Goo iOS Download Stats→

World of Goo iOS Download Stats

Developers 2D Boy released an iOS version of their popular puzzle game, World of Goo, on the iPad last year. In the first month, they reported over 125,000 sales through the App Store – an impressive number compared to the best 31 day period on WiiWare (68,000 sales) and Steam (97,000 sales). 2D Boy later ported WoG to the iPhone, and made the app universal. Today, the developers have announced one million downloads and published a post detailing the download stats for the app.

  • 69% of downloads and 79% of revenue came from the Universal version.

  • 29% of downloads and 17% of revenue came from the iPhone version.

  • 2% of downloads and 4% of revenue came from the Mac App Store.

The universal version ($4.99) brought a larger chunk of revenue than the iPhone app ($2.99). You’d think iPhones would bring in more sales thanks to their bigger installed base, but more often than not I’m hearing people willing to pay two bucks to get an iPad version “just in case”. Most of the times, of course, it is because they do have an iPad and 2 bucks are well worth the universal download. The Mac, on the other hand, brought only 2% of downloads, but the app is sold at $9.99 there – plus it’s likely that Mac users have already played the old PC/console versions, or bought the iOS app.

Android numbers are noteworthy as well. They’re smaller than iOS when it comes to paid downloads (70,000 copies sold in a month), but impressive in the free demo with over 450,000 downloads. 2D Boy says during the same period last year they sold around 180,000 copies of WoG for iOS. My takeaway after reading this post and Gina Trapani’s Todo.txt sales numbers for iOS and Android – as well as talking to several Android users’ experiences with the Market – is that the App Store still generates much larger numbers of paid downloads (especially when tech coverage and Apple promotions are involved), but Android, too, is growing on that front. I wouldn’t expect Infinity Blade II kind of growth on Android, but 70,000 copies isn’t bad for an indie development studio.

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Apple’s “Targeted Enhancements”

Marco Arment, writing about iOS’ Auto-Renewable subscriptions, which appear to be exclusive to apps that deliver “new content” during each renewal period:

Ultimately, I had to ship Instapaper 4.0 with non-renewing subscriptions, I was able to delete all of the clunky auto-renewing server code, nobody sees that terrible dialog in my app, and I need to ship an update soon that will annoy my best customers with manual-renewal notifications.

But this is a great example, like Newsstand Kit’s background downloads, of Apple adding a capability to iOS that’s potentially useful to thousands of developers, and then restricting it so that only a handful of players (usually big companies) can actually use it.

I hope that, in time, they unbundle some of these myopically targeted enhancements and make them potentially useful to all developers. But Apple’s record on this isn’t great so far.

Marco is right – auto-renewable subscriptions are easy to use (and understand) and more developers should get access to it. Imagine being able to subscribe to Instapaper through iTunes, or getting your Evernote Premium account billed automatically every year or month, instead of having to purchase it manually (as it happens now). But I could argue that, at the same time, new technologies like Newsstand Kit’s background downloads (described here) and auto-renewable subscriptions are more of a conceptual and technical issue for Apple rather than a “limitation” imposed to developers. Imagine if every app in the Store went free, and started billing users periodically for “usage”. That would create an unrealistic ecosystem of free apps with in-app subscriptions for all kinds of content. I’m not saying apps like Instapaper shouldn’t get access to auto-renewable subscriptions – it actually seems like a perfect fit to me – but I believe that instead of going on a case-by-case basis, Apple decided to roll out the feature for “publishers of new content” first. That’s easier to scale.

It gets murkier with the background downloads of Newsstand. Periodicals and newspapers get this neat implementation of automatic downloads of new issues. Would a third-party app like Instapaper benefit from it? Sure. Imagine being able to have your Instapaper queue delivered to you wirelessly, each morning, instead of having to download it manually (which takes seconds but it’s still a manual action). That’d be great. Or the aforementioned Evernote, which could, in theory, figure out a way to push changes from its remote database once per day without a user’s direct action (case in point: I add a lot of items to Evernote on my Mac overnight, I see all the changes automatically pushed to my iPad the next morning). Again, I believe some apps should get this functionality for increased usability and overall enjoyment of the user, but there are exceptions I’m fairly certain Apple considered. What if every developer of every app starts implementing background downloads for remote content? Even once per day, for every app, it can be  a lot of data. And when you add data caps to the mix and start imagining games that can download new levels remotely on 3G…not good.

Obviously, if we follow this argument – that every developer should get access to the latest technologies used by Apple, or that at least some developers should be able to – we could say that Apple did figure out solutions in the past to avoid problems with, say, data caps and 3G downloads. Granular controls, like “Use Cellular Data” in the Store’s Settings, or the common limit of 20 MB for App Store downloads on 3G. But again, imagine a scenario where every developer gets to implement subscriptions or background downloads. Is the user supposed to go through a list of 100+ apps and switch every single one of them to “off” for background downloads? And if the list is a bad idea, and we argue again that only some apps should get these features – why, say, just Instapaper or Evernote? Why not Infinity Blade II?

Last, it is true Apple doesn’t have a great record for bringing iOS’ enhancements to third-party developers in a short period of time – but keep in mind that the iPhone launched without multitasking and background applications and eventually got one of the best implementations of multitasking out there and background tasks (for some apps) up to 10 minutes. The other side of the coin, obviously, is that third-party apps can’t run in the background all the time like Apple’s Music app - but the same question rises again: can you imagine every single developer doing that? (Speaking of enhancements in Apple’s apps: I expect Mail’s rich text controls to be opened up next to developers for integration. And did anyone mention Siri?)

In the past four (almost five now) years, Apple has taught us (and the industry) that iOS isn’t about big press releases and revolutions as much as it’s about incremental progress, iterative improvements and refinements. Apple rolls in its very own way, and looking back at the differences between iPhone OS 1 and iOS 5, it’s clear that a lot of work went into all the updates and fixes and changes that got us this.

Developers rightfully want access to cool new features as soon as they’re available (especially when they seem such a good fit) and users are always eager to see the latest software functionalities implemented in delightful new ways, but the App Store’s ecosystem is so variegate and unique that sometimes waiting is the best option.

Mac App Store: Year One

One year ago today, Apple’s Mac App Store officially opened for business. Bundled into Snow Leopard’s 10.6.6 software update, and later installed by default on OS X Lion, the Mac App Store is a native, built-in marketplace for third-party developers and Apple’s own software. Just as the iOS App Store has contributed to the solidification of a software ecosystem built around iPhones, iPods and iPads in the past three years, helping “indie” as well as bigger developers achieve a sustainable business model in selling smartphone and tablet apps, in the past 365 days the Mac App Store has quickly reshaped and fundamentally changed the OS X software landscape and users’ perception of “desktop apps”.

It’s not absurd to say many didn’t even know it was possible to “install apps” on a Mac before the launch of the Mac App Store. What the Mac App Store did – besides allowing long-time Mac users and developers to consolidate their software library in a single place and provide them with a better way to discover and showcase the latest indie hit – is it finally created a viable and consumer-friendly way to find and buy apps. Before the Mac App Store, the average Mac user could get work done easily with just Safari and Mail because he or she knew those were all the apps a Mac came with. Great apps, for sure, but just those apps. The Mac App Store, just like the iOS App Store, opened a whole new portal for users and a market for developers (and a way for Apple to break even on costs with a 30% cut) to know a completely new world made of utilities, productivity apps, games, news readers and more. The Mail aficionados of 2010 have likely jumped over to Sparrow, and those who swore by Preview perhaps have found something more attractive in Pixelmator 2.0.

With 100 million downloads under its belt and Apple’s latest major OS X revision, Lion, available digitally, there’s no denying the Mac App Store had a great run in 2011. Here’s a look back at these 365 days, and how the Mac App Store we know today (quickly) came to be. Read more

iPad Users Have Downloaded 3 Billion Apps in One Year

Thanks to a rich marketplace, consistently good apps that are featured in the App Store, and the constant attention blogs like ours bring to developers and consumers, the iPad has had its fair share of owners downloading tons of applications. Not only did iPad users download more than 3 billion apps from the App Store since the iPad’s launch in 2010, developers published 120,000 apps specifically for the iPad in the third quarter of 2011. ABI Research notes that iPad downloads are only 19% of all the cumulative downloads by Apple users. With lots of choice and a device that just works, users are eager to try out the latest innovations in touch-based software.

In comparison, Android users have only downloaded 440 million applications. It could be that there simply aren’t as many Android tablets in consumers’ hands as there are iPads, or it could because that developers simply aren’t making apps formatted for the tablet experience like they are on the iPad.

According to Lim Shiyang:

Discounting all those apps that were originally developed for Android smartphones, Android still trails greatly behind the iPad in terms of its tablet app offerings. Many Android tablets in the market are still using older versions of Android, which disadvantages users from enjoying the better effects of apps produced from more advanced software development kits.

As for Android’s phone ecosystem, ABI Research expects Android users to rack up 58 billion app downloads by 2016, compared to only 27 billion by iPhone users.

I wonder how many of these downloads will be because of Angry Birds?

[ABI Research via GigaOM]

Launch Center: An Action and Shortcut Hub for your iPhone

Shortly before the Christmas holiday, a few apps got a lot of attention in Apple media after being barred from the App Store for inappropriate use of the Notification Center. These apps, App Switcher, Launch Center, and Quickpick, were submitted with the intent of using the Notification Center as a way to access a list of customized commands (shortcuts) that take advantage of Apple’s and third party URL schemes. App Switcher and Quickpick were pulled, and Launch Center simply didn’t get approval. The three apps removed this feature and are now available on the App Store as standalone applications.

If you jailbreak your iOS devices, these apps probably aren’t going to find their way into your standard toolkit. Paid and free utilities available through Cydia will mirror features available on Android through widgets, the lock screen, and the Notification Center. Purists, however, could find some value in automating common tasks and reducing the time it takes to perform custom actions. Jeff Broderick’s Settings is free, but the icons are fixed and I decided I only want access to a few. There’s also Icon Project, but I have no desire to fiddle with making icons. Of the apps noted above, Launch Center looks polished and simply presents a clean list of actions.

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Flud 2.0 Brings Social Interaction with a Revamped Interface

While I’ve taken a look at Flud before, its initial resemblance to Pulse left me uninterested. Flud, in their attempt to meld the news you were interested in with social media, never quite stood out enough from the competition or encouraged me to actively share articles with my friends. That was the case, but like Flipboard, Flud has a substantial update with a second version of their social news reader.

Flud 2.0 throws out its sharp-edged interface for an elegant carousel, containing the subscription’s headlines which scroll vertically to reveal more content. The interface, fluid and responsive when article images don’t need to be cached, differentiates itself from the likes of Flipboard and Pulse — sidestepping a magazine or traditional RSS-like experience — by presenting an open canvas (or in other words a very fancy grid) to discover content. There are some similarities with services like News.me in the updated Flud, with the main focus revolving around following your friends or idols who will curate interesting content.

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Instacast HD Review: It’s Incredible

I remember when I first reviewed Instacast for the iPhone back in March, declaring it the Twitter of Podcast apps. While possibly dramatized, what Instacast has done for mobile podcasts is what Loren Britcher did for Twitter apps. The interface, lightweight and smooth, capitalizing on common sense gestures and thoughtful design elements, quickly made Instacast one of my favorite iPhone apps. Instacast is the only non-Apple app that has a spot on my iPhone’s dock. An intelligent conversation, a good laugh, and Geek Friday are always just a tap away.

Instacast got smarter. Sure there were times when enhanced podcasts didn’t work or a wonky update caused weird crashes, but they were fixed and plenty of new features were added. Continuous playback always kept a friendly voice on the loudspeaker. Later, iCloud syncing was added in preparation for future updates. Future updates that of course would finally see Instacast taking on bigger endeavors.

There were lots of days on the couch when I thought about Instacast coming to the iPad. Until recently of course, I hadn’t known what to expect before I was invited to take a look at the first beta. I imagined that Instacast, containing a library of podcasts, would take on a form similar to iTunes. I imagined the interface as a grid, where you would easily scroll through podcast cover-art and see badges revealing the number of unplayed episodes. How silly!

Martin Hering first hinted at the design in September, and I later had the privilege of revealing more of the interface near the end of October. An excited Joshua Schnell and Myke Hurley have also been eager to share the new interface, giving it due praise on the App Orchard and at Macgasm. The hype around Instacast HD for the iPad has been astounding, and for good reason. Instacast HD is incredible.

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Apple’s Minor Tweak To iPad App Store Improves Navigation

Earlier today Apple rolled out a very minor, yet important change for the App Store’s homepage on the iPad. Previously, “New and Noteworthy” and “Staff Favorites” sections in the iPad App Store could be viewed by hitting an arrow button that scrolled the various pages inside these sections. Now, users can swipe to navigate between pages of apps listed in the sections, with page indicators similar to the iOS’ Home screen available at the bottom to indicate a user’s position.

More importantly, this little tweak has been implemented in the “Release Date” tab of the iPad App Store as well. Browsing by release date is very convenient for two reasons: it lets you see every iPad app ever approved, and it displays the total number of available iPad apps in the Store. It used to be that, because of clunky navigation, moving between pages in “Release Date” view was slow, and the iPad would often lose its position after scrolling dozens of pages. With the new swiping method, the whole view is faster, and also appears more reliable at going back and forth between results.

Here’s how “Release Date” used to look:

And here’s how it looks now, with no buttons:

At the moment of writing this Apple is still using button-based navigation in the Purchased area, and we wish changes will eventually make their way there, too.

Today’s update to the iPad App Store (Apple also updates the App Store homepages every Thursday with new Featured apps) is minor, but as the company’s attention to detail often proves, minor tweaks can incredibly improve the user experience.