Highest Average Downloads Per App Goes to Nokia Ovi Store, 160 Percent More than Apple App Store

The stats say it all; Nokia has lesser number of applications on its Ovi Store compared to Apple App Store.



With more than 1 billion downloads to date, the total number of approved iOS apps has already reached the 500K mark; while that of Symbian platform is still trailing less than tenth of Apple’s figure. But is it really a bad thing for Nokia? Well, not always, according to German-based research firm research2guidance. Nokia having fewer apps at its Ovi Store means lower competition between app publishers, and could be an advantage for its apps to be downloaded several times in a day giving the fact that Nokia has large user base. And the same goes to other players like Microsoft and RIM.



Based on previous quarter's results of its smartphone application monitoring report, the firm says “that those applications published on the less popular platforms, such as WP7 marketplace or Blackberry’s AppWorld, generate significantly more downloads compared to the Apple App Store.”

Click to enlarge

From the figure above, the Nokia Ovi Store has received 160% more on average app downloads than Apple App Store. The Windows Phone 7 Marketplace and the BlackBerry AppWorld also received higher average app downloads than Apple App Store with 80% and 43% more, respectively. Apps from Android Market, however, were downloaded daily 5% less than iOS apps in the previous quarter.



Well, seems quite promising for Symbian developers, indeed. But it would have been better if we can see which and what type of apps are being downloaded. Press release follows below.



Click to Read Press Release

Apps On Nokia’s OVI Store Had 2.5 Times Higher Download Numbers In Q2 2011 Compared To Apps on Apple App Store



The “average app” has a better chance to generate downloads on “non-hyped” platforms.



Despite all the hype around the major platforms Android and iOS, publishers are still overlooking the hidden potentials of the niche players. The Q2 2011 results of our smartphone application monitoring report indicate that those applications published on the less popular platforms, such as WP7 marketplace or Blackberry’s AppWorld, generate significantly more downloads compared to the Apple App Store.



Significantly lower competition, yet a sufficiently large user base that desires apps, are the major reasons for this. Symbian still retains, by far, the highest potential user base. Even though its users are incomparably less active than iOS’s heavy downloaders, it still generates significant download volumes to Symbian publishers. This is largely because whilst Apple boasts of its 400,000 apps, the OVI store contains less than a tenth of that number.



Looking into average numbers, the Android Market stands not far behind the Apple App Store. This quarter, the average Android App attracted just 5% less users than iOS. Competition is harsh.



However, going in for very small niche platforms may not be the best idea either. LG World! and Samsung’s App Store are struggling to generate user attention. Although LG has less than 3,000 apps and as a result it is much easier to be discovered there, its user base is just too low.



Although the Symbian platform is seen by some developers to be clumsy and outdated, as well as Nokia’s transition to WP7 which has fuelled discussions as to when Nokia will give up its platform completely, the current status seems to be promising. Recently, Nokia reported the launch of three new Symbian Smartphones and confirmed that these will not be the last of the products, nor updates, to be delivered on Symbian.



Find other important Q2 2011 market developments in the new volume of the research2guidance Smartphone App Market Monitor. The third volume of the report includes a special interest chapter on mobile retail market.

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Create and Open PDF Files in iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch with Adobe CreatePDF

Adobe just released a new application that will allow users to view, create, manipulate, and manage Portable Document Format or PDF files right on their iOS devices.

Called Adobe CreatePDF, this business app is said to bring the same high-quality PDF creation with the cross-platform Adobe Acrobat or the cloud-based app of the same name. Adobe also says the app offers consistent and high-fidelity PDF conversion independent of device or software. And with an intuitive interface for PDF conversion, it can convert email attachments or files stored in the cloud by opening them right on the app. The company added that CreatePDF uses Adobe’s online services to ensure there’s no compromise on quality or performance, and the service does not keep copy of the original PDF document.



Among the supported file formats of Adobe CreatePDF for iPhone and iPad include:

• MS Word (docx, doc), Excel(xlsx, xls), PowerPoint (pptx, ppt)


• Adobe Illustrator (ai), Photoshop (psd) and InDesign (indd)


• Images – JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF


• RTF, Text and WordPerfect


• OpenOffice and StarOffice documents

Adobe CreatePDF is now available at the App Store for $9.99; although the app is basically designed for iPhone and iPad, it will also work for iPod Touch running iOS 4.3 or later. Download link follows below.



Download Adobe CreatePDF for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

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Yahoo App Search and AppSpot Help You Discover Apps for iPhone and Android Devices

Head to Yahoo.com today and there you’ll see a new search feature that will allow you to discover new and relevant apps for iPhone and Android devices based on your search query.

That’s actually what I discovered today.



Thinking that such feature is really new, I did a few more searches about it and there I found out Yahoo! did introduced and integrated Yahoo App Search to its existing Search Services. Not only that. Yahoo! also launched a new app for iPhone and Android called Yahoo AppSpot. Yahoo! AppSpot is a free mobile app that is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices.

Yahoo AppSpot for iPhone

Yahoo App Search works by looking up relevant iPhone and Android apps based on search query from over 425,000 applications in Apple App Store, as well from the 200,000 apps in Android Market. It displays both free and paid apps, full comprehensive description and screenshots, with corresponding prices as well as star rating from users. The result page of Yahoo! App Search also features trending applications (probably based on number of downloads) so you would see other apps that would be of your interest.

Yahoo! AppSpot for Android

Yahoo! AppSpot works the same way, just that the interface is optimized for mobile devices. Among the best features include:



Daily Personal Picks: Unlike 'Top Apps' lists that provide the same apps day after day, you'll get new, personalized app suggestions on a daily basis, so you're always introduced to the latest, most interesting, and relevant apps.



More Precise Results: Using Yahoo!'s sophisticated search technology, quickly zero-in on an app by showing matching app titles as well as related keywords as you type.



Related Apps: Discover similar apps within the "more apps you'll love" section to find related apps that best match your needs.



At-a-Glance Shopping: Review the price, overall star ratings, screenshots, and description all on one screen to avoid the endless scrolling.



Fast & Easy Downloads: Direct links to the specific app pages within the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace make downloading an app a snap.



You can try Yahoo App Search by visiting apps.search.yahoo.com, and you can download AppSpot for iPhone and AppSpot for Android via the links. Note that AppSpot for iPhone is not available in Philippine Store just yet, but it can be downloaded from U.S. Store. Being said that, you'll need an Apple ID that is valid for purchase in US iTunes Store.

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iOS Apps Reaches 500K; Angry Birds, the Most Popular Paid App of All Times

Apple, together with its developers and fans, has another reason to celebrate for yet another milestone achieved in iTunes App Store.

From its launch back in July 10, 2008 – the latest infographic shows that the number of approved apps in iTunes App Store reaches 500,000, based on collaborative effort from app search engine Chomp, app review site 148apps, and game publisher Chillingo.



The latest number of approved apps came from 85,569 unique developers. 37% of all apps are free and the average price for paid apps is $3.64. Angry Birds is still the most popular paid application of all times based on number of days at number 1 in iTunes App Store.



While Apple reaches the new milestone, its competitors are still trailing in stats. Just recently, Apple's stronger competitor, Google, announced that the Android Market had reached more than 200,000 apps. Other App Stores in the competition haven’t reached the 50,000 mark except for Nokia’s Ovi Store.



Take a look at the infographic below. (click to enlarge)

[via]

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iPhone Confession App Approved by Roman Catholic Church, Will it Work?

Following Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 45th World Communications Day in which he invited young people to make good use of their presence in the digital world, a new application for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices has been released and approved by The Catholic Church.

The app called Confession: A Roman Catholic App is designed as a “perfect aid for every penitent”. At a price tag of $1.99 per download at the Apple App Store, Confession brings a personalized examination of conscience for each user and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament. With support for password-protected accounts, the app has been developed by Little iApps, LLC (a new start-up company) and has been collaborated by notable personalities in the US Catholic circle. The first app to receive an imprimatur from a Bishop, Confession would invite Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance.

Though this is seemingly a good idea for the faithful, criticisms are always there to point out whether this would really work. But so far, for being a “new media at the service of the Word” – the Confession app is said to already aid one man in returning to the sacrament after 20 years. Match with the Daily Gospel App, I guess that would seem to work better. What do you think? [via]

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Apple Hits 10 Billion Downloads at the App Store… Still Counting! Did You Win?

When Apple announced its official earnings for fiscal year 2011 last Tuesday, January 18th, with whopping $26.7 billion total revenue for the first quarter alone, the App Store has over 300,000 apps available that have been downloaded over 9 billion times.

By then, Apple posted a counter on the App Store in a quest to identify who’s the lucky user to download the 10-billionth app and ultimately win $10,000 worth of iTunes Gift Card. That’s a huge amount of money if you don’t mind, but not bad to become greedy and be tracked as the 10-billionth app downloader though.

But anyway, it’s over. Apple already hit over 10 billion downloads to date and the company is now extending its sincere thanks to those who participated the quest and continue downloading more apps; a great milestone for a service that Apple introduced back in mid-2008 as part of the iTunes. With the growing number of iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices – it’s undoubtedly possible Apple will double the number in a year or two.



For now, we’ll just have to wait Apple’s official revelation of the 10-billion App Countdown promo winner– so just stay tuned with the Cebu Tech Blogger for more updates! J

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