Android apps are on track to top their iOS rivals in revenue for the first time according to analysts.
The analytics experts over at App Annie are projecting Android apps will bring in $78 billion/£62 billion in 2017 whereas their iOS counterparts will earn a mere $60 billion/£48 billion.
Android apps have a significant advantage as revenue is not drawn from one single store and is instead spread over the Google Play Store and various third-party offerings.
Related: Best Android apps
It’s predicted the Play Store will account for $42 billion/£34 billion of the revenue and the remaining stores, such as Samsung and Amazon’s app stores, will generate a combined $36 billion/£29 billion.
Considering Android has such a huge share of the global mobile OS market, it’s actually surprising it’s taken this long for the revenue to, potentially, surpass Apple’s.
Another factor is that OEMs are bringing even better smartphones to market, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel, which truly challenge the superiority enjoyed by the iPhone.
That said, Apple’s App Store remains the top individual store – nothing that offers Android apps comes close to it.
It remains to be seen if the analysts are right on this one, but we’ll find out soon enough, so stay tuned.
Watch: Galaxy S8 and S8+ Hands-on
Have you been persuaded to leave iOS for Android? Let us know why in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
