App Store Growth in 2012: Apple & Google Play Dominate Mobile Markets
Key Insights from Distimo’s Annual Report
Distimo, a leading app store analytics firm, released its Global App Stores Report highlighting major trends in 2012. The data reveals continued dominance by Apple’s App Store and explosive growth from Google Play, shaping the competitive mobile app landscape.
Market Performance: Apple vs. Google
- Google Play’s Rapid Growth: Saw 43% daily revenue increase across 20 major countries (August-November 2012)
- Apple’s Steady Dominance: Maintained 21% daily revenue growth with significantly higher absolute revenue (\(15M/day vs Google's \)3.5M)
- Developer Monetization: Apple remained the preferred platform for revenue generation despite Android’s larger install base
Breakout Apps and Regional Trends
Record-Breaking Launches
- Draw Something: Reached 1 million users in just 9 days
- Asian Market Power: Naver’s Line Pop achieved 1.75 million downloads in 72 hours
Geographic Variations
- Tablet Adoption: Russia led with 46% iOS downloads on iPad, followed by Netherlands (38%) and Finland (35%)
- Low Tablet Usage: Japan showed only 7% iPad download share
Revenue Models and Market Concentration
- In-App Purchases Growth: Increased from 53% to 69% of total revenue
- Paid App Success: Some publishers thrived with paid-only strategies (35% of top publishers’ revenue)
- Market Concentration:
- 7 apps generated 10% of iPhone revenue
- 6 apps accounted for 10% of iPad revenue
- Just 4 apps made up 10% of Google Play revenue
What This Means for Developers
The 2012 data reveals several critical insights for app creators:
- Platform Selection Matters: While Google Play grew faster, Apple offered better monetization
- Discovery Challenges Increased: With 700,000+ apps, standing out became more difficult
- Regional Strategies Pay Off: Success in Asian markets required different approaches than Western markets
- Revenue Model Flexibility: Both in-app purchases and paid models proved viable depending on app category
For complete data visualizations and detailed analysis, download the full Distimo Report.
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