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Technology Stocks : Apple Tankwatch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: puborectalis who wrote (24355)	12/28/2012 8:20:12 AM
From: sylvester80	1 Recommendation Respond to of 32692

Android apps put pressure on Apple By Tim Bradshaw in San Francisco December 27, 2012 1:45 pm ft.com ©Bloomberg Apple is at risk of losing one of its key competitive advantages over the rival Android system as application developers say they are warming to Google’s smartphone platform. The app store on Google smartphones, where users can download new games and software, was a key area where Android smartphones have long lagged behind the iPhone. However the sheer scale of Android, which now accounts for three out of every four smartphones sold, is commanding developers’ attention, despite their continuing difficulties in making as much money on Android as on Apple’s App Store, which holds credit card details for more than 400m people. “Android is the platform of growth,” says Misha Lyalin, chief executive of Zeptolab, creator of the popular Cut the Rope mobile games. The availability of apps is a major consideration when consumers decide which smartphone or tablet to buy, and purchasing a lot of apps on a platform can make them more reluctant to switch platforms when upgrading their device. “Android is certainly doing better than it was,” says Benedict Evans, mobile analyst at Enders. “The [developer] tools are better and the base is clearly huge. People aiming for ubiquity or mass scale will go for Android.” However he says developer feeling remains “very mixed” on the relative merits of the two market leaders, with Apple’s App Store containing a richer selection of high-quality apps because of the greater ability to sell them rather than merely rely on advertising for income. Engagement among users is “disproportionately higher” on Apple’s iOS than Android, he adds. In November, Apple had about 700,000 available apps, as did Google, though, Apple only allows apps that pass its strict vetting procedure to enter its App Store, an approach intended to ensure quality and security for iPhone users. Google does not review any Android apps before making them available through its marketplace, giving developers more freedom but increasing risks for users. However, the search company has made greater efforts to curate its app store and help users to find the best software, as well as selling movies, books and music, with the launch of Google Play in March. Although the war for mobile talent remains fierce, the falling costs and wider skills needed to create apps mean that it is more feasible to develop for multiple platforms. In September, Google announced that 25bn apps had been downloaded to Android devices since the platform launched, a milestone Apple reached the previous Marchand had topped by October, when it surpassed 35bn. Loren Brichter, a former graphics engineer at Apple and now developer ofLetterpress, a word game that was runner-up in Apple’s “Best of 2012” app awards, says he is “constantly re-evaluating” the two rival platforms. “I am obviously biased towards Apple but Google is catching up,” he says. Fragmentation of different operating system versions and devices running Android means developing for the platform is “a complete mess”, Mr Brichter says, but “there are so many Android users out there, it’s increasingly hard to ignore”.

To: puborectalis who wrote (24355)	12/28/2012 8:24:22 AM
From: sylvester80	1 Recommendation Respond to of 32692

Android surge shakes Apple THURSDAY, DEC 27, 2012 09:27 AM -0700 salon.com America's most watched company can no longer claim to be the only mobile option BY ALEX HALPERIN Android phones are taking a bite out of Apple. As Apple stock continues it’s a long steep slide, investors and market watchers are speculatingabout whether the Cupertino, Calif.-based company can regain the mojo that made it a market favorite. But a report in today’s Financial Times (subscription required) suggests that the Android platform, now installed on three out of four smartphones sold worldwide, is exercising a gravitational pull on app developers. Google’s Android has long lagged behind Apple in the number of available apps and the number of apps sold, but the balance appears to be shifting. “ Android is the platform of growth,” Misha Lyalin, CEO of Zeptolab, which puts out the popular game “Cut the Rope” told the paper. The article quotes one techie who personifies the platform rift: Loren Brichter, a former graphics engineer at Apple, and now developer of Letterpress, a word game that was runner-up in Apple’s “Best of 2012” app awards, says he is “constantly reevaluating” the two rival platforms. “I am obviously biased towards Apple but Google is catching up,” he says. Fragmentation of different operating system versions and devices running Android means developing for the platform is “a complete mess”, Mr Brichter says, but “there are so many Android users out there, it’s increasingly hard to ignore”. Apple still holds some advantages in the app business it pioneered. The company continues to act as a gatekeeper for all apps sold in its store, a quality control measure Android has not imitated. And with the release of iPhone 5 iPhones now account for more than 50 percent of the U.S. smartphone market. One question is how much this resembles the Apple/PC wars of yesteryear. Back then computers running Microsoft Windows dominated the market and a small devoted clan of Apple users survived in the wilderness secure in the belief of their superior hardware. (This dynamic is still in place despite Apple surpassing Microsoft in profitability and general perceived sexiness a long time ago.) Apple probably did more than any other consumer-oriented company to define mobile technology, giving itself the opportunity to dominate rivals with its more curated, and generally higher priced products. But that lead is slipping. In the iPad, Apple still has the world’s best known tablet but as of the end of the third quarter it can barely claim a majority of the tablets sold. And last month the Samsung Galaxy S III usurped the iPhone to become the top selling smartphone in the world. It’s foolish to look too deeply into a stock but it may be fair to say that since consumers now have options, investors might want them too.