Kantar World Panel today published its latest smartphone market share report, this time showing sales figures for Q1 2013 in nine key countries. The numbers show an increased dominance for the Android operating system, which is number one in eight out of the nine territories, with Apple’s iOS in second place. The odd country out is Japan where iOS is a few percent ahead of Android. Android sales are a long way in front everywhere else except for the US where the race remains close. iOS share is down marginally everywhere but the biggest loser is Blackberry, which now accounts for less than 1% of the market in six out of the nine featured countries and has fallen behind the increasingly popular Windows Phone in all of them.

Here in Britain, Android phones were bought by 58.4% of smartphone buyers in the first three months of the year, with Apple devices favoured by 28.7% and Windows Phone in third place on 7%.  Across the five largest EU markets (GB, Germany, France, Italy, Spain) the picture is similar though skewed more in favour of Android, which accounts for nearly three quarters of sales in Germany and a massive 93.5% of Spanish sales.

Kantar is predicting further gains for Android in coming months due to sales of new flagship devices such as the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4.

There have been a couple of interesting contributions in the last week to the ongoing HTML5 vs native mobile app debate. Firstly, Compuware APM published some research that indicates that 85% of smartphone users prefer to use native apps rather than mobile web apps. Secondly, the team behind the popular accounting software Xero announced that they are switching focus to native apps following difficulties in delivering an acceptable mobile web offering.

The Xero team were keen to exploit their existing web development talents when building a mobile version and acknowledge that this, not user experience, was their primary justification for choosing the HTML5 route. But when their efforts failed to yield acceptable results they changed tack:

Xero prides itself on not compromising on customer experience, and when it comes down to it, the question isn’t “How can we use our existing skills to build a mobile application?” but “What is going to enable us to deliver the best customer experience on the mobile devices that our customers use?”

This is a similar conclusion to that reached by Facebook last year when it replaced HTML5 with native on iOS.

As we’ve mentioned previously, one of the key promises of HTML5 is that you can build one app that works everywhere. If you’re targeting multiple mobile platforms this is supposed to make it easier as you don’t have to duplicate effort by creating native apps for each operating system. What’s interesting about the Xero announcement is that they’ve acknowledged that the reality is somewhat different. They’ve concluded that with the current state of the tools and mobile web browsers they would have to put in more effort than it would take to build native apps:

…the lesson we’ve learnt over the last 12 months has been that the cost in time, effort and testing to bring an HTML5 application to a native level of performance seems to be far greater than if the application was built with native technologies from the get-go.

Current trends show that the mobile market is consolidating on just two major platforms, with Google and Apple squeezing out BlackBerry, Microsoft and others. That makes focusing on just the big two a viable mobile strategy. And if there are only two platforms that really count then, as things stand at present, native apps are the way to go.

The picture will of course change as the HTML5 ecosystem matures but for the likes of BlackBerry and Microsoft that can’t happen soon enough. Right now developers may well choose an excellent experience for ~90% of users over a mediocre one for everybody.

For much of the last few years the smartphone market has been a three-horse race with Apple, Google and BlackBerry battling for supremacy. Google’s Android has held the lead in recent times while BlackBerry’s market share has continued to dwindle. Figures published yesterday by IDC show that although BlackBerry is still in third place, its share of new devices sold is down to just 3.2% and it remains to be seen whether its new X10 and Q10 devices will do anything to reverse that slide.

With Microsoft (2.4%) so far failing to make a big impact with Windows Phone there are now only two big players in terms of mobile platforms: Android (70.1%) and iOS (21.0%). This is the continuation of a trend previously highlighted on this blog in the discussion of the pros and cons of HTML5 versus native apps.

There are two important caveats in this latest data. Firstly it should be noted that these figures are for sales of new devices. Actual smartphone ownership figures lag behind as devices purchased in the last couple of years remain in use. Secondly, these are worldwide figures and while they are broadly representative of trends across much of Europe and Asia, there are markets where the picture is markedly different. For example, while the same duopoly exists in the United States, the relative shares are very different with Apple’s iOS in pole position (51.2%) and Android in second (44.2%).

iOS 5.0 and Android 4.0 were unveiled a week apart in October 2011. 15 months later the Apple offering has achieved near universal uptake (over 96% according to some third-party figures) whereas the majority of users of Google’s OS are still waiting. Many will never receive an upgrade for their current devices.

With less than 40% of Android users running Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) or Jelly Bean (Android 4.1/4.2), app developers find themselves having to support outdated versions of the operating system in order to reach the widest audience of Android users. To be runnable by 90% or more of users, an Android app must run on Android 2.2 (Froyo), an OS that is four months short of its third birthday. iOS developers on the other hand need only support a 10-month-old version (iOS 5.1) in order to reach the same percentage of users.

This pattern seems set to continue (iOS 6 already has twice the penetration of Android 4.x despite being only four months old) and while it does Android developers will not be able to rely on recent OS features if they intend their app to be usable by the majority. In contrast, an iOS app developer can happily forget about the limitations of all but the last couple of versions of the platform, which leads to a much more straightforward development process with far fewer workarounds and compromises.

With many Android device manufacturers failing to provide updates for older phones, existing Android users are typically only getting the new OS when they upgrade to new hardware. At that pace it is likely to be mid 2014 before app developers can consider dumping Android 2.x completely.

Working in partnership with online rail ticketing specialists Assertis, Rectangular Software recently delivered the first iPhone app for train operator Northern Rail. Northern Rail is one of the largest train operating companies in the UK and is responsible for services across the north of England that serve almost a quarter of the UK’s population.

This new app, available free-of-charge, provides live departure and arrival information for all train services across Great Britain (not just Northern Rail routes) and the ability to purchase tickets for these services.

The Northern Rail iPhone app is available now as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Simplicent LLC has today released the first version of Learn Pro Blackjack, for iPhone and iPad. This blackjack training app, built for Simplicent by Rectangular Software, teaches users the fundamentals of Basic Strategy – the essential knowledge for maximising your chances of winning at the table.

With a typical house edge of around just 0.5%, blackjack is a far better proposition for the discerning player than other casino games such as roulette, but only if you make the right decisions in your play. Basic Strategy is a proven set of rules that determine what you should do in every possible situation to give yourself the best chance of winning.

Learn Pro Blackjack combines a set of training flashcards with a comprehensive strategy test consisting of 340 scenarios. The app supports both Las Vegas and Atlantic City rules and includes additional tips to help you get the most from your gaming experience.

If you want to learn blackjack strategy, the app is available now from the iTunes App Store.

At Rectangular Software we try to keep track of the state of the mobile market place so that we can better advise our clients on mobile app strategies. So we’re always on the look-out for the latest data. Things change so fast in this space that figures from 6 months ago can be hopelessly misleading.

I was interested therefore to see that Kantar Worldpanel today published its latest smartphone market share figures for eight key countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the United States). Based on device sales for the 12-week period ending on 5th August, the figures show that Android is the most popular platform in each of the countries, with over half of the market everywhere except Brazil and 61.2% overall (up from 52.2% this time last year).

Beyond the good news for Google the picture is more varied from country to country. Apple’s iOS is doing much better in the three anglophone countries than elsewhere. It has over 35% of the US market but less than 3% in Spain where Android has an almost total monopoly.

RIM’s market share for its BlackBerry devices has collapsed everywhere except France. In the important US market it has been all but wiped out. Overall RIM has been pushed into fourth place behind Microsoft, which is finally gaining some traction for its Windows Phone OS, albeit with a still modest 4.8% share.

The regional variation in the numbers underline the importance of understanding who your users are before deciding which platforms to focus your resources on.

The full figures can be downloaded here (PDF).

I was interested to read (via the Guardian) that Facebook has replaced its HTML5 mobile web app with a native app for the iPhone and iPad and is most likely preparing to introduce a native Android app too.

This is significant because there has been a growing trend for companies to favour mobile web apps over native apps (that is apps tailored specifically to one mobile platform, such as iOS, Android or BlackBerry, using tools and technologies that are incompatible with the other platforms). The obvious attraction of the web-based approach is that a single application will, in theory, work across all major smartphones and tablets, regardless of which operating system they run. Facebook’s move is an acknowledgement that while this is clearly a cost-effective way of reaching the widest user base, it does not offer the best possible user experience:

“So while utilizing web technology has allowed us to support more than 500 million people using Facebook on more than 7000 supported devices, we realized that when it comes to platforms like iOS, people expect a fast, reliable experience and our iOS app was falling short. Now that our mobile services had breadth, we wanted depth.”

That native apps offer the potential for the richest user experience is not controversial. Being tailored to a single platform, a native app can integrate seamlessly with the device and take advantage of the full range of hardware and operating system features in the most efficient way possible. In contrast, there will always be an element of lowest common denominator compromise in any cross-platform alternative.

The downside to native apps has been the cost of supporting multiple mobile platforms. Build an iOS app and you have an app that runs on iOS devices. You’ll have to build a separate app to reach Android users and then you still don’t have a solution for BlackBerries. So it’s unsurprising that as HTML5 becomes more mature, mobile devices become faster, and mobile network bandwidth increases, more companies are deciding that mobile web apps are good enough. They are happy to trade platform-specific fit and finish in favour of reduced development costs compared to developing several different native apps.

But before dismissing the idea of building separate native apps it’s worth considering how many platforms you would actually need to support. Over the last year the mobile ecosystem has become considerably less diverse, as these recent figures from Gartner show. Whereas in Q2 of 2011 there were four mobile platforms with a double-digit share of devices sold worldwide, in the same quarter this year Android accounts for almost two thirds (64.1%) and Apple’s iOS (18.8%) is the only other big player. Nokia has all but abandoned Symbian, BlackBerry maker RIM has shed more than half of its market share and, despite Microsoft and Nokia’s best efforts, Windows Phone (2.7%) is still languishing in 6th place behind even Samsung’s low-end Bada OS.

In light of these numbers, it appears that in many cases it may be sufficient to target just two platforms for your mobile app – at least initially. In that case the cost differences compared to developing a single HTML5 mobile web app might not be that significant. Cost is of course not the only consideration. Some apps have requirements that make them inherently more suited to one approach or the other. Here are some of the other factors that may influence your decision:

HTML5 Advantages

• A single app will work on many different devices
• Can build on existing non-mobile web app infrastructure
• Retain full control over app distribution/subscriptions (not subject to app store rules/fees)
• Ability to update the app immediately if required (no need to wait for a review)

Native App Advantages

• Faster / smoother user experience
• Native look and feel (familiar user interface that will function exactly like other apps on the device)
• Access to all hardware/platform functionality (cameras, Bluetooth, accelerometers, NFC, calendar, contacts, notifications, widgets, etc.)
• Better offline experience (for apps that can function without Internet)
• Easier to sell/distribute (hosting and payment processing are provided by the app store)

Pitch Invasion, the UK’s leading organiser of 5-a-side and 6-a-side football leagues, has today released an enhanced version of its free iPhone app for players in the 100+ Pitch Invasion football leagues across England.

This version of the app was built by Rectangular Software based on the foundations of an app that Pitch Invasion had previously commissioned that is currently being used by thousands of footballers across the country.

Taking the existing app as a starting point, and working closely with Pitch Invasion, Rectangular Software has made several refinements and additions to existing functionality.

Improvements in the updated app include a new location-aware league finder for finding your nearest league, a new streamlined native payment facility and the ability to make and view nominations for Player of the Week. This is in addition to other fixes and enhancements including support for the high resolution Retina displays found on the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod Touch (4th generation).

The updated Pitch Invasion app is available now from the iTunes App Store.

Rectangular Software provides custom development of native iOS and Android mobile apps. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Some interesting figures were published by mobile app analytics firm Flurry recently. They show how Google Play (the new name for Android Market) is trailing a long way behind its major competitors in generating per-user revenue from smartphone apps (an app on the iTunes App Store earns over four times as much per user).

The that fact apps on the iTunes App Store generate more money than equivalent apps on Google Play is not news but what is interesting in these figures is that Amazon has no such problems making money from Android apps.

The comparison between Google and Amazon is not entirely like-for-like since Amazon’s store is US-only at present and has less than 10% of the titles that Google has. The difference in performance is striking nonetheless and perhaps explains the recent Google Play rebranding that positions Google’s app store as a more direct competitor to Amazon’s digital content store. Google also reportedly has the Kindle Fire in its sights with its own 7-inch Android tablet in the works.