Smartphone and tablet users are now downloading a whopping 40 apps per year, per person. That’s according to Yankee Group’s 2011 US Consumer Survey, which also shows an alarming trend: Android developers, the report says, make less money from paid apps than do Apple iOS developers. Piracy of Android apps might be to blame.
The report notes a recent Skyhook survey of 75 Android developers, with one in four (27 percent) saying piracy is a huge problem, and another 26 percent saying it’s “somewhat" of a problem. More than half (53 percent) say Google’s Android Market policies are too lax.
It’s taking a financial toll on developers. One-third of survey respondents say they’ve lost more than $10,000 due to piracy. Another third (32 percent) say it increases their support costs, and another quarter report increased server costs due to heavy loads imposed by pirated copies.
“Android apps are living in the Wild West without a sheriff," said Carl Howe, Yankee Group director of research and author of the report, “Android Piracy: How Republished Apps Steal Revenue and Increase Costs." “With five other major mobile OSs competing for consumer dollars, Google can’t afford to simply let pirates kill app developers’ businesses. They need to foster some law and order or developers will flee to other platforms and Android will lose customers."
