Google Play and iOS App Stores Show Big Q1 Numbers

It’s a great time to be an app developer as product flies off the proverbial shelves. According to App Annie, the top analyst firm of the mobile app economy, app stores broke download and revenue records in the first quarter of 2017. There were 25 billion new app downloads this quarter alone, a truly epic figure that should encourage app developers worldwide.

It’s not just downloads that are increasing: consumers are pumping more and more money into iOS and Google Play, spending $15 billion on apps in Q1. Mobile app developers are pulling in even more than that figure suggests through ad and mobile commerce revenue. Much of this burst of consumer activity can be pinned on China. As its middle class continues to grow, China has become the major driver of revenue growth and the leader of consumer spending for iOS. As a result, iOS bested Google Play in revenue by a full 100% this quarter, up 10% from Q1 last year.

But it’s too early for Denver Android app developers to fret. App Annie predicts that by the end of the year Android will beat iOS in revenues once third-party app marketplaces are taken into account. Third-party app stores offered by companies like Huawei and Tencent make up a significant portion of the maturing app market in China. These third-party app stores are expected to take in $20 billion in revenue this year.

These numbers are great news for iOS and Google Play and indicate that the demand for apps is showing no signs of shrinking. And how could it? Apps have become so integral to how we live our lives. With new and expanding markets like India boosting download stats and established markets like America and South Korea propelling revenue growth, the worldwide mobile app economy is thriving. There’s never been a better time to get into app development.