While owners of the iPhone 4 and other Apple-manufactured mobile devices are conditioned to shell out a buck or few for the 160,000 paid apps in the iTunes App Store, the majority of Android apps are free. Also in today’s App Industry Roundup, the UK government institutes austerity for the iPhone, and Conde Nast debuts four city guide iPhone apps.
57 percent of Android apps free (versus only 28 percent for the iPhone)
Market research firm Distimo recently published a report detailing the availability of free applications on leading mobile platforms, which include BlackBerry App World, Nokia’s Ovi Store, Palm’s App Catolog and Windows Marketplace for Mobile in addition to the iTunes App Store and the Android Market.
The report, which can be downloaded here, showcases how the Google Android Market is the only leading application vendor to offer the majority of its apps (57 percent) for free. Free offerings in the other stores range between 22 percent (Microsoft) and 34 percent (Palm).
Apple, still the behemoth in the space with nearly 250,000 apps (as opposed to less than 75,000 for Android and far less for the other platforms), offers 28 percent of apps for all of its devices for free. Not surprisingly, only 23 percent of apps available for the iPad tablet computer are free.
Also of note, consumers pay on average just over $4 for iPhone apps (and $4.65 for apps on the iPad).
UK government a player in iPhone app development
A report by BBC News details that the UK government invested as much as £40,000 for the development of individual iPhone apps that focus on things like travel and employment. In a nod to economic austerity and backlash from groups like TaxPayers’ Alliance, the government hours ago just instituted a freeze on iPhone app development.
Might these groups eventually call for the end of BBC.com as well?
Upscale iPhone apps from Conde Nast Traveler
Conde Nast, the publisher of a number of iconic magazines including the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Vogue, just released four luxury-themed travel apps. Priced individually at $9.99, the Conde Nast apps provide upscale travelers with information on where to go in New York, Rome, Barcelona and Paris.
Conde Nast has already achieved great success in the iTunes App Store with the very popular Epicurious app for gourmet recipes.
