Meerkat looks to Android for a chance at beating Periscope
Can an Android launch save Meerkat? SXSW must seem like a long time ago for the folks behind the livestreaming app that took Austin by storm back in March. It was just a few weeks later that Twitter launched Periscope, which, thanks to the social network's clout and a better user experience, has quickly become the streaming app of choice. Right now both services are iOS only, though, and Meerkat is hoping to hook the hundreds of millions of Android users on its app with a public beta launch.
You can sign up for the beta here, but there's no date for when the app will actually be available. Getting to Android before Twitter has a chance to launch Periscope is definitely a good tactic for Meerkat, although doing the same on iOS hasn't stopped the app from fading into insignificance. According to analytics firm Topsy, Periscope streams were roughly three times more prevalent than Meerkat as of last week. Twitter has also confirmed that Periscope is on its way to Android "soon," so there's a good chance that it'll launch on Android first anyway.
