Entelligence: Got game?
By Michael Gartenberg 
posted Nov 15th 2009 7:01PM
posted Nov 15th 2009 7:01PM
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
There was a lot of buzz last week when Apple announced that there now more than 100,000 applications in iPhone App Store, and more than two billion apps downloaded. Those are impressive numbers. A former Palm executive recently told me that in the heyday of Palm OS, two thirds of users never installed a third party app and the average "power user" installed around ten. That averages out to about two apps per device -- a pretty low number compared to most iPhone users, even novice users.
But that's only part of the story. A few months ago, I discussed the viability of multiple mobile OS platforms and how it's not likely that they all will survive long term, and one big reason Apple's platform looks better and better is entertainment apps. Looking at my own device, once you get past the three core apps I use all the time (Mail, Tweetie, and Byline, a Google Reader app), the bulk of my hundred plus apps are all entertainment related -- and most of them aren't available on any other platform.
When you look at the out-of-the-box experience of most smartphones today, they're all pretty good when it comes to basics. Email, web browsing, personal information management, and voice are all acceptable. What's missing are the applications and experience that make up mobile entertainment. Media and content consumption are one core pillar. Games are another.
Media is important to mobility, and according to our research, the iPhone leads the competition by wide margin when it comes to consumers who purchase phones looking to listen to music and watch video. This makes sense, as the most popular media player on the market is the iPod and the iPhone is the only phone with the iPod experience built in. That means users can sync all their content seamlessly, and sync is important. I personally have no desire to troll through thousands of songs trying to re-create my playlists using drag and drop. Other platforms pale by comparison, with Android lagging behind most notably -- Google's OS has no native media sync support at all. Platform providers who aren't thinking of media and content sync are going to miss the
100,000 apps is impressive but it's not the number that matters -- it's the ability for consumers to use their devices for play as well as for work. |
Games are the second pillar of entertainment and Apple's been successful in making the iPhone / iPod Touch a real gaming platform. The iPhone now boasts the best collection of games for any mobile platform, and game developer after developer tells me that they're not even looking at most other platforms -- or they're porting one or two titles to dip their toe in the water. Part of it is platform capability -- the Blackberry simply can't deliver the same type of gaming experience as the iPhone -- but in other cases it's about market penetration or platform fragmentation. Several developers tell me they're avoiding Android because the platform is too fragmented to make the investment: there are different versions of the OS being sold, on hardware with different screen sizes and resolutions. Games are going to critical to any platform's success and the ability to sign up first rate developers and get exclusive content is going to be key to long-term survival.
100,000 apps is impressive but it's not the number that matters -- it's the depth and quality of those applications and the ability for consumers to use their devices for play as well as for work. If platform providers don't start focusing on high quality entertainment experiences soon, we may see some platforms fading even sooner than I might have thought.
Michael Gartenberg is vice president of strategy and analysis at Interpret, LLC. His weblog can be found at gartenblog.net, and he can be emailed at gartenberg AT gmail DOT com. Views expressed here are his own.
The launch iPhone was a joke. It couldn't even save a calendar entry. The iPhone OS didn't really become stable until 2.1. Then it didn't really catch up with basic current smartphone functionality until 3.0.
Right now it is a great OS I will admit and I use it everyday, but it only really came into being this year. It still needs to work out multitasking some time soon.
amazing...
Hey, be fair, the iPhone has also had over 3 and a half years to develop it app store plus it was already a widely used media source for iPods before hand.
Compare the Apple app store size equally as in Android has had what, a year about? So show us the Apple app size equal to the length of time Android's, and WinMo's, and Blackberry's, and Palms, etc app markets have been out. I'm sorry, I know they started it but when comparing a 3.5 year old service to a few months/year into its release is 100% not fair nor very revealing of any competitive info. It's like comparing a 3.5 month year old against a new born, "My baby can talk so my baby will always rule over your baby because your baby just knows how to suck your nipple." Can I say nipple? Well I said it twice so sue me! =)
finally someone with some sense in them. be fair, fanboys are great, but it can get kind of ridiculous. I would love the iphone if i could just get pandora to run in the background, my fav thing on my g1.
You must be going off of the 2-month-old official app store for Windows Mobile. In reality, there's who knows how many apps out there. Much more than 550.
@ZRod >> "So show us the Apple app size equal to the length of time Android's, and WinMo's, and Blackberry's, and Palms, etc app markets have been out. I'm sorry, I know they started it but when comparing a 3.5 year old service to a few months/year into its release is 100% not fair nor very revealing of any competitive info."
You're right. It's unfair to compare Apple's huge app store to other app stores that are only a few months old.
But, that's something the competitors have to deal with... the iPhone *has* had a huge lead on all the other app stores. They can't change that.
There is a reason the Apple App Store grew at such a fast rate: there were millions of iPhones and iPod Touches in people's hands... and the developers believed in it. Blame Apple for creating a device that many people bought... and blame the developers for supporting that platform... and blame consumers for buying all those apps.
When the Apple App Store first opened... Android wasn't even announced. Palm had the Centro and the Treo. Windows Mobile was not really a consumer mobile OS. Whose fault was that?
So... I'll tell you what will happen when the other app stores have had more time to mature... Apple will still have a huge user base, there will still be more developers supporting the iPhone platform, and there will still be more apps in the Apple's App Store.
It's probably not the answer you're looking for... but Apple is not gonna slow down to let the others catch up.
There was a lot of buzz last week when Apple announced that there now
*there are now
I feel like I just read a really long iPhone ad.
That's because he was right- no other company can do what apple can with regards to apps, and it's one of the top things that differentiates companies.
@RioRyan:
I don't see it as much an ad for the iPhone as it is an endorsement of Apple's approach to the smartphone market. When you remove the issues regarding the App Store review process (a whole other discussion), Apple has done a great many things right with the iPhone platform.
We're looking at a reprise of the 1980s, when the Apple Macintosh were at the forefront of the GUI revolution, only to get eclipsed by the dowdy IBM PC, with help from numerous IHVs and ISVs.
I'm shocked at this myopic Gartenberg piece, given his supposed full-time job as a pundit. People actually pay him money for this full-blinders-on treatment?
His premise: Media & games--content--are important for success in smartphones.
His arguments: iPhone is superior because,
a) only iPhone/iPod has seamless integration & syncing
b) diversity of existing iPhone apps & games
The main flaw in this argument is that it argues from a snapshot in time--i.e. Apple RIGHT NOW has better integration & more content. This ignores the dynamic change relative to time, something called MOMENTUM. It would make sense if time were to stop, and TODAY is the only thing that matters, not TOMORROW, or NEXT YEAR.
The rate of hardware vendors adopting Android, the fast pace of improvement with Android, and the enthusiasm of the tech community for Android toys are all indicative of Android's momentum. With swelling demand, improvement in the underlying OS, and enthusiast ISV support (supply), Android can only improve. And it will likely be at the expense of the iPhone/iPod. The linchpin will be the former's free licensing and open-source accessibility, vs Apple's heavy-handed "I have to approve all 3rd-party iPhone stuff" mentality.
I also don't agree with his premise, that entertainment is the make-or-break factor for smartphones. This shortchanges the potential of smartphones to be a handheld PC, augmented by external peripherals such as monitor & base station (accessed by RDP), to do real computing work. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the next PC form factor.
Credit where it is due, Apple popularized the GUI, and it popularized the smartphone for the consumer. That said, it's not so much different from the 80s and the original Macintosh.
"That means users can sync all their content seamlessly, and sync is important. I personally have no desire to troll through thousands of songs trying to re-create my playlists using drag and drop. Other platforms pale by comparison."
Bullshit. You can do this using Nokia Music for Nokia phones easily.
*sigh*,
Who here actually uses Rhapsody, or Sonos, or eBooks on their phone? Get real. Sure people download it, but do they use it? Hell. no.
Don't even get me started on games. It sucks. Bad.
Yes, Microsoft in Windows Mobile 7 is bringing Zune in to its media ability. I wish it were in 6.5, but it is not.
Seriously, you say 'Iphone takes the cake' when it comes to entertainment apps. Please, tell me something other than those 3 that I would never even think of using. Please?
Give some examples and it may inspire developers like me to create them for the Windows Phone Marketplace.
I forgot to mention the seamless media integration for Windows 7 and Windows Mobile.
@ d00b:
"I also don't agree with his premise, that entertainment is the make-or-break factor for smartphones. This shortchanges the potential of smartphones to be a handheld PC, augmented by external peripherals such as monitor & base station (accessed by RDP), to do real computing work. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the next PC form factor."
First, I'd argue that entertainment is a very, very important element in the smartphone ecosystem because it's very, very important in the PC ecosystem. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't use their own computer (not their employer's) to entertain in at least some capacity, and many Windows users cite Mac OS X's small selection of games as a reason they don't consider the platform.
Second, I don't think a device's ability to entertain affects its ability to be used productively as well. I have several productivity apps that I use daily or almost-daily on my iPhone (budgeting, maps, train schedules, Mail, nutrition management) in addition to those I use for entertainment. iPhone already offers developers the opportunity to integrate other devices (medical equipment, telescopes, GPS car kits), so there's definitely the opportunity to include the other peripherals you mentioned if the market shows a significant enough demand for them.
"The rate of hardware vendors adopting Android, the fast pace of improvement with Android, and the enthusiasm of the tech community for Android toys are all indicative of Android's momentum."
Only pace of development is likely to indicate anything concrete about momentum; I don't think hardware manufacturer adoption or tech community enthusiasm are necessarily indicative of anything. Many hardware manufacturers adopted Windows Mobile, and it has relatively little momentum. Also, the tech community generally looks for different things in devices than most consumers do, so the community's feelings may or may not translate into mainstream adoption. For example, most people probably aren't aware of the app approval issues on the App Store, and even those that are aware probably don't care all that much as long as they can find decent apps that do what they want.
"A few months ago, I discussed the viability of multiple mobile OS platforms and how it's not likely that they all will survive long term, and one big reason Apple's platform looks better and better is entertainment apps."
I'm sorry, but this is one of the least sophisticated analyses of technology that I've ever read. It's a foolish argument that states that the survival of phone OS's is completely tied to the availability of entertainment apps, and that then tries to establish this argument on the basis of a vague statement about "our research" and then follows it up with a personal litany about owning 100 apps.
People like entertainment. They will play games on any device they own, even more so if the games are free or cost 99 cents. But the most entertainment to be had is the internet, and every smartphone OS is working on making the internet more accessible on phones.
Furthermore, the fact that the author is too lazy to sort through his music collection, listens to individual songs more than whole albums, and thinks that drag-and-drop is somehow more cumbersome than iTunes bespeaks to his poor judgment and his pedestrian relationship with music. The further stipulation that it's easy to get video onto the iPhone is simply ridiculous.
The article would have been much shorter and more honest if the author had just written, "I love the iPhone! I love gadgets! I love entertainment! I own 100 apps! It rocks!"
>entertainment is a very, very important element in the smartphone ecosystem because it's very, very important in the PC ecosystem
The #1 reason why people want a smartphone is for web access anywhere. Web browsing is key. Music/movie consumption, while important, is secondary, if for nothing else than the smartphone's small screen and its limited battery life. Ditto for games; there are already dedicated game devices that are better suited for the task, and have much more content.
>iPhone already offers developers the opportunity to integrate other devices...if the market shows a significant enough demand for them.
Sure, IHVs can make accessories for the iPhone, but they can't change the iPhone. With Android, IHVs can make any device they want, without licensing fees, and without Apple's jackboot on their necks. That's the Android appeal, and that's why so many people see a big future for it. (While the same can be said for MS WinMo, the UI is crap, and you have to pay for the license.)
>Only pace of development is likely to indicate anything concrete about momentum; I don't think hardware manufacturer adoption or tech community enthusiasm are necessarily indicative of anything.
We'll see. Android still has its growing pains. Give it a year, and see if that Mac-vs-PC history isn't going to be relived.
@ d00b:
"The #1 reason why people want a smartphone is for web access anywhere. Web browsing is key. Music/movie consumption, while important, is secondary, if for nothing else than the smartphone's small screen and its limited battery life. Ditto for games; there are already dedicated game devices that are better suited for the task, and have much more content."
I agree that web is important (never said entertainment was more important), but the iPhone offers a good web experience. Most smartphone contenders actually do, so web access isn't much of a differentiating factor any more. Also, entertainment is also important because of the iPod touch, which people DO buy for entertainment. Developers who write for iPod touch also write for iPhone, offering a much larger consumer pool. If Apple can fix the review process mess (which I sincerely hope they can), it's an unbeatable combination.
"With Android, IHVs can make any device they want."
Sure they can, but do people want to carry multiple devices? I don't. Again, if Apple can fix the App Store approval process, I think accessories transform communications devices to life management devices.
"Android still has its growing pains. Give it a year, and see if that Mac-vs-PC history isn't going to be relived."
iPhone also has growing pains, particularly with the App Store; however, I don't think it will be over in a year.
@ d00b:
Talk about lazy analysis "reprise of 1980s ... blah blah"
You complain that the author is flawed because of a snapshot approach but you want replay the whole 1980's!!
One of the hallmarks of cognitive development is the ability to take different perspectives, you seem a little over identified with the Android fan boy perspective
ummm
Have you actually used an Android device lately?
how is that relevant? whether a person has or has not used it lately the fact remains the same, developers feel it is currently a fragmented os with several different versions. And that fact seems to deter some development. a developer need not use it recently to know that.
Is this about Apple? Pass.
Oh!
I'm sick of these weird abs scrolling across my page!
Oh! First! (that's for you Chris, sweetiefuk)
*ads
Are they nice rippling abs?
They gave you Risperidal for a reason.
I once saw six of them scroll across my screen at once, all in a pack
Michael makes some excellent points here that hadn't entirely considered before. Many criticize Apple for the performance of the iPhones core functionalities, but what seems to make it (currently) unsurpassable to its competitors is the apps and their streamlined functionality.
Surprisingly the majority of those buying the phone don't seem concerned about the app store approval process, the mail functionality or even the idiosyncrasies of the browser. Android has some wonderful offerings. However, until they can hold the consumers hand and offer them a streamlined, complete experience it will be impossible for them to reach the kind of market that the iPhone currently has (granted this may not be its ultimate goal, and that's great!).
LOL, your comment sucks plus you didn't get the first post. Hows that for a huge FAIL!
Why is is such a surprise that the company with the best OS for the old paradigm is so far ahead of everyone else with the best OS for the new paradigm? Add the best media ecosystem and you have an unstoppable force.
Spoken just like Steve.
the average joe doesn't know how to even install an app on a palm. Apple made the iphone easy to use...installing an app is just one of it. Even though the iphone is clearly not the most powerful phone like other winmo, it certainly is much more friendlier
much*
no need for the more
comparative rule
Every single smartphone platform has an app store type thing. They're all about equally friendly.
On Palm? Like on WebOS? It's pretty easy, you tap on the app in the catalogue and you tap install. Even the homebrew apps are pretty easy to install. If Joey Average is that stupid then humanity is pretty screwed.
I'm not saying that WebOS has apps that compete with the iPhone apps, but the installation process is pretty straightforward.
Yeah, thirdmoose... they all have one NOW. Now that they all saw how successful it was when Apple did it the way they did, and still several companies can't get it right because they don't have the infrastructure of iTunes and the (relative) consistency of the iPhone/Touch hardware. Check out the rocky road Nokia put themselves on with their store and how Palm didn't come to market with their WebOS store in order - not really "equally friendly" yet.
I have to disagree with you, I own both the Palm Pre (WebOS) and an iPod touch. Installing apps is far far easier on my Pre than the iPod. On the phone, the app catalog is an application itself, find what you want, then tap install, done! The iPod on the other hand needs plugging in to a mac/PC running iTunes, then try and navigate it to the app store, where I managed to buy apps for the iPod, not the touch, which apple will not reimburse me for, so I now have apps that I cannot use on my device. The first time I bought an app with the iPod not attached to the computer it took me quite a while to figure out how to move it across to the device.
Handandgo had one for WinMo, and I think Palm also, before the iPhone even existed. It just never saw widespread usage and wasn't designed well.
@thethirdmoose >> "Every single smartphone platform has an app store type thing. They're all about equally friendly."
What was the most popular Palm device in 2008? Centro? Treo 755p? How many people used them... for anything fun? Where did all those people buy these apps?
How many iPhones and iPod Touches were in people's hands in 2008 when the Apple App Store first opened? And where did they buy apps? iTunes.
The reason developers flocked to the iPhone platform is because they could create amazing apps for a touch screen device, using GPS, an excelerometer, etc. And it has a huge install base.
Yes... there have always been tons of apps for the Palm platform... but there's only so much you can do with a Treo keyboard and a 320x320 display. Even with the Palm Pre... there's still not much excitement for creating apps and games for it.
@ill trooper
Palm os had addit, which was an app catalog, long before the iphone was even announced. In addit you could download apps directly to your device, or you could just click on a button that would make it download the next time you sync it up with your computer.
@ David Austin:
You either don't have WiFi access for your iPod touch, or you aren't aware of the App Store application (which I find surprising since it's on the first page of apps). You can use the on-device app to download and install apps OR you can download through iTunes. Wherever you buy it, it syncs across both. I can't speak to the Pre experience, but based on your description, iPod touch and iPhone can do the same thing. I don't know if the Pre has any way of downloading on the computer.
@ David Austin
You managed to post a comment on Engadget, yet you have no idea how to navigate downloading apps directly from your iPod Touch? What's the disconnect?
David Austin has no idea what he is talking about. The iPod Touch/iPhone has an "App Store" icon that takes two clicks to find and automatically install (and update) applications. It couldn't be easier..
i was not talking about palm webOS. i was referring to the palm's pda days.
recently, i was using the HTC touch pro 2. the phone was sweet but installing apps on it wasnt as slick as on the palm pre nor apple iphone. i cant comment on android cause i havent used one yet.
It's true that Apple made it easy to install apps, and they did a good job working from the base of their pre-existing distribution mechanism in the iTunes Store. But they also have spent millions of dollars promoting apps through advertising -- in part because they make money through app sales. No other smartphone OS has seen the same level of advertising as the iPhone's.
I think other phones companies realize this by now; people like apps, despite how long they might use them.
Never used android, huh?
"100,000 apps is impressive but it's not the number that matters -- it's the ability for consumers to use their devices for play as well as for work."
THANK YOU. Do you see now? EVERY OS has fun, business, work, and play applications available to their customers. It's the quality that matters, not the quantity, and I wish more and more fanboys would realize this.
How many apps does the N900 have, like 20?
How the fuck should I know? Because of my username? Troll harder, Android fanboy.
man these android fanboys are slowly becoming just as douchy as those iPhone fanboys, huh?