Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
Cortana for Android leaks out a bit early
Cortana is here for Android … sort of. Microsoft announced back in May that it would be bringing Cortana to Android, and it was expected to land this month to coincide with the release of Windows 10. But now it looks like an Android beta release of Microsoft’s digital assistant has hit the web early, reports the Finnish mobile site Suomimobiili. We’ve installed the app on an HTC One M9 and it works just like you’d expect. You can ask Cortana about the weather or basic facts; have her call someone on your contact list; or set reminders. Unfortunately, you can’t say “Hey Cortana” to get her attention yet — even when you’ve got the app open. We don’t expect this leaked Cortana copy to stick around for much longer, but it’s a good sign that Microsoft is indeed getting close to an official release.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: The Verge, Unofficial Microsoft News
Source: Suomimobiili
July 28th could bring us all the 2015 Moto G
Motorola is all set to bring the all new Moto G (2015) into the market. It’s been reported that Motorola could launch the Moto G (2015) as early as July 28. This latest iteration has been rumored and leaked a couple of times before, giving us the glimpse of internal specifications as well as hardware features.
Rumored specifications :
- 5-inch 720p display
- 1.4 GHz quad core Cortex A53 CPU(Snapdragon 410)
- 1GB RAM and 8/16GB of internal storage
- 13MP rear-facing camera
- 5MP front-facing camera
- micro-SD card slot
- 2,470 mAh battery
In addition to all of this, Motorola is also supposed to bring Moto Maker support to the Moto G (2015). The handset is also supposed to be water resistant but I think it will be just nano-coating that will be preventing the hardware from water damage to some extent.
It’s interesting to see that Motorola is bringing customization to the mid-range Moto G. There’s no word on whether or not Moto Maker will cost extra for the latest version, or whether it will carry additional material options for the rear shell like the Moto X. However, We will be sure to keep you posted about each and every detail surrounding the all new Moto G(2015).
Source: tecmundo
The post July 28th could bring us all the 2015 Moto G appeared first on AndroidGuys.
1byone pocket sized folding mini Bluetooth keyboard [Review]
1byone’s foldable keyboard is a grand little device. With portability in mind, the keyboard connects to a wide variety of devices including most Android, iOS and Windows devices. In fact, the keyboard has three dedicated modes for these three popular operating systems.
Setup
The keyboard is really simple to set up. By unfolding the keyboard, the keyboard will automatically turn on.
Once the keyboard is on, you just have to hit Fn + c to enter pairing mode. You will know that you have successfully entered pairing mode when the left light on the top of the keyboard flashes blue.
After you enter pairing mode, you just have to enter the Bluetooth menu on the device you want to pair and complete the pairing by selecting the 1byone keyboard.
Functionality
The keyboard has buttons that allow the user to switch between three modes, Android, Windows and iOS.
These modes provide functionality specific to these systems. For an example, the Android mode gives you a home button and media controls via the ‘Fn’ key.
The same key combinations would provide function keys when you are in the Windows mode.
Usability (Typing)
The keyboard layout is smaller than a standard keyboard. This was most likely in an attempt to keep the keyboard as small and portable as possible.
The result is a compact keyboard with slightly unnatural feeling keys. I often find myself hitting the wrong key or hitting the up arrow instead of the right shift button.
While this does cause some frustration, it is a lot better than trying to type a lot in one sitting with an on-screen keyboard.
Ignoring the smaller keyboard size, the keyboard has a nice feeling when typing. The keyboard reminds me of the keyboard on the HP Chromebook 11, one of my favorite keyboards on a laptop.
There is a bit of a learning curve as you get used to the condensed layout, but the keys are nice and responsive and have a lovely sound to go along with they typing.
Portability
The small form factor and the ability to fold the keyboard um into a third of its full size allows for unparalleled portability.
The folded up size of the keyboard allows you to just slip it into a backpack or any other bag. There really are no limitations to where you can take this keyboard.
The small size makes it perfect for times when you just want to grab a tablet and keyboard without having to lug around a full sized laptop.
You don’t even have to grab a tablet. It works great for typing up something on a phone/phablet if the need arises.
Build Quality
They keyboard is very well built. The folding feature is really nice, but I was afraid that it would result in a flimsy keyboard that wouldn’t be able to withstand the demands of portability.
The two hinges that allow the keyboard to fold up are sturdier than I expected.
While they are made out of plastic (just like the rest of the keyboard), the hinges don’t leave anything to be desired. Except for the fact that they squeak and creak quite a bit.
The entire rest of the keyboard feels nice and strong. It is a gadget that I wouldn’t mind throwing into a bag and dragging around town for those cases when I just need a physical keyboard.
Wrap Up
The 1byone Bluetooth keyboard is a great little device for on the go typing. For those who prefer tablets over laptops, this keyboard would be a great typing solution for you.
The keyboard offers great portability and works really well. It is great for me because I can now just throw it into my bag without worrying about damaging it and use it with my tablet to get work done on the go.
If you are looking for a way to be more productive on the go, this keyboard is a great way to do it by pairing it to your tablet. Boom, instant workstation on the run!
For under $40 on Amazon, I would go ahead and give this guy a go if you are in the market for a similar type product!
Be sure to check out 1by0ne’s other products like the 4 port USB 3.0 hub that I reviewed earlier this week or check them out on Amazon.
The post 1byone pocket sized folding mini Bluetooth keyboard [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Fallout Shelter puts $5.1M in Bethesda’s vaults in just 2 weeks
Half of all the Fallout fans around the world were ecstatic when Todd Howard, Game Director at Bethesda Game Studios, announced that along with Fallout 4, Bethesda had developed a free mobile Fallout game called Fallout Shelter. The other half were bummed to find out that the game was only available on iOS devices. Of course, he also announced that an Android version was coming, and later Pete Hines, Vice President of PR/Marketing at Bethesda tweeted that the Android version should be out next month.
@kolos_kovacs coming along nice. haven’t announced a date, but should be out next month. we’ll let you know when we have specifics
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) July 1, 2015
No one could have imagined at that point that this free game, originally developed as a way to market Fallout 4, would become such a cash cow, but according to Superdata Research, Bethesda’s Fallout Shelter has made $5.1 million in it’s first 2 weeks on Apple’s App Store. This is especially impressive when you consider that the only things you can buy in the game are lunchboxes. The lunchboxes contain upgrades, weapons, and various items to use in the game.
Superdata speculates on the reason for its strong success.
“The game’s success further underscores the value of a strong franchise in the otherwise crowded mobile games market.“
Hopefully, this open cash register will encourage Bethesda to hurry up and finish the release of the Android version. We want the opportunity to buy lunchboxes as well. Are you excited for Fallout Shelter? Let us know in the comments.
The post Fallout Shelter puts $5.1M in Bethesda’s vaults in just 2 weeks appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
Plex for Android has received a major update today, bringing with it the Material Design makeover and a handful of new features. Plex is one of many Android apps to see the move to Material Design as of late.
Here’s the full change log of features from Plex’s forums:
- [Android TV] Add the ability to filter and sort items within a library section
- Update quality selection to allow selection of “Original” quality, as well as only showing valid qualities during video playback.
- Detect and warn about buffer underflows during video playback.
- Improve playback of MP4s when using the Experimental Player.
- Add the ability to select a specific version of a video, if multiple different quality versions are available.
- Add support for multi-part video playback.
- [Chromecast] Add ability to change quality and audio/subtitle during playback.
- [Android TV] Enable support for searching channels.
In addition to features, Plex has knocked out a handful of bugs and performance issues plaguing the app. There’s been a lot of fixes to Android TV issues, along with some issues resolved where the app would crash during certain actions. Users experiencing these bugs should see a noticeable difference. You can check out the full change log of features and bugs here.
Plex migrated to a single app and updated its music platform to be your “go to” music player earlier this year.
If you haven’t received the update yet, scan the QR code or hit the download link below. Alternatively, you can grab the APK straight from Plex here.
Come comment on this article: Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
1byone pocket sized folding mini Bluetooth keyboard [Review]
1byone’s foldable keyboard is a grand little device. With portability in mind, the keyboard connects to a wide variety of devices including most Android, iOS and Windows devices. In fact, the keyboard has three dedicated modes for these three popular operating systems.
Setup
The keyboard is really simple to set up. By unfolding the keyboard, the keyboard will automatically turn on.
Once the keyboard is on, you just have to hit Fn + c to enter pairing mode. You will know that you have successfully entered pairing mode when the left light on the top of the keyboard flashes blue.
After you enter pairing mode, you just have to enter the Bluetooth menu on the device you want to pair and complete the pairing by selecting the 1byone keyboard.
Functionality
The keyboard has buttons that allow the user to switch between three modes, Android, Windows and iOS.
These modes provide functionality specific to these systems. For an example, the Android mode gives you a home button and media controls via the ‘Fn’ key.
The same key combinations would provide function keys when you are in the Windows mode.
Usability (Typing)
The keyboard layout is smaller than a standard keyboard. This was most likely in an attempt to keep the keyboard as small and portable as possible.
The result is a compact keyboard with slightly unnatural feeling keys. I often find myself hitting the wrong key or hitting the up arrow instead of the right shift button.
While this does cause some frustration, it is a lot better than trying to type a lot in one sitting with an on-screen keyboard.
Ignoring the smaller keyboard size, the keyboard has a nice feeling when typing. The keyboard reminds me of the keyboard on the HP Chromebook 11, one of my favorite keyboards on a laptop.
There is a bit of a learning curve as you get used to the condensed layout, but the keys are nice and responsive and have a lovely sound to go along with they typing.
Portability
The small form factor and the ability to fold the keyboard um into a third of its full size allows for unparalleled portability.
The folded up size of the keyboard allows you to just slip it into a backpack or any other bag. There really are no limitations to where you can take this keyboard.
The small size makes it perfect for times when you just want to grab a tablet and keyboard without having to lug around a full sized laptop.
You don’t even have to grab a tablet. It works great for typing up something on a phone/phablet if the need arises.
Build Quality
They keyboard is very well built. The folding feature is really nice, but I was afraid that it would result in a flimsy keyboard that wouldn’t be able to withstand the demands of portability.
The two hinges that allow the keyboard to fold up are sturdier than I expected.
While they are made out of plastic (just like the rest of the keyboard), the hinges don’t leave anything to be desired. Except for the fact that they squeak and creak quite a bit.
The entire rest of the keyboard feels nice and strong. It is a gadget that I wouldn’t mind throwing into a bag and dragging around town for those cases when I just need a physical keyboard.
Wrap Up
The 1byone Bluetooth keyboard is a great little device for on the go typing. For those who prefer tablets over laptops, this keyboard would be a great typing solution for you.
The keyboard offers great portability and works really well. It is great for me because I can now just throw it into my bag without worrying about damaging it and use it with my tablet to get work done on the go.
If you are looking for a way to be more productive on the go, this keyboard is a great way to do it by pairing it to your tablet. Boom, instant workstation on the run!
For under $40 on Amazon, I would go ahead and give this guy a go if you are in the market for a similar type product!
Be sure to check out 1by0ne’s other products like the 4 port USB 3.0 hub that I reviewed earlier this week or check them out on Amazon.
The post 1byone pocket sized folding mini Bluetooth keyboard [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
Plex for Android has received a major update today, bringing with it the Material Design makeover and a handful of new features. Plex is one of many Android apps to see the move to Material Design as of late.
Here’s the full change log of features from Plex’s forums:
- [Android TV] Add the ability to filter and sort items within a library section
- Update quality selection to allow selection of “Original” quality, as well as only showing valid qualities during video playback.
- Detect and warn about buffer underflows during video playback.
- Improve playback of MP4s when using the Experimental Player.
- Add the ability to select a specific version of a video, if multiple different quality versions are available.
- Add support for multi-part video playback.
- [Chromecast] Add ability to change quality and audio/subtitle during playback.
- [Android TV] Enable support for searching channels.
In addition to features, Plex has knocked out a handful of bugs and performance issues plaguing the app. There’s been a lot of fixes to Android TV issues, along with some issues resolved where the app would crash during certain actions. Users experiencing these bugs should see a noticeable difference. You can check out the full change log of features and bugs here.
Plex migrated to a single app and updated its music platform to be your “go to” music player earlier this year.
If you haven’t received the update yet, scan the QR code or hit the download link below. Alternatively, you can grab the APK straight from Plex here.
Come comment on this article: Plex gets updated with new features, bug fixes, and Material Design makeover
HBO NOW, the standalone service, is now available for Android with a 30 day free trial
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The cord cutting community has been begging networks like HBO, Starz and Showtime to bring standalone apps to consumers for a monthly fee. While they all offered an app to watch and buy movies/shows, you still were forced to have a supporting subscription through a traditional cable or satellite provider. HBO broke that mold not that long ago, but limited the run to Apple devices. Now the associated stand alone app is finally live on the Play Store.
The app is free to install, but will require you to sign-up for monthly charges based on the installation time. Signing up today gives you 30 days to check out the app and the service with a scheduled payment through Google of $14.99 per month. In this case, signing up today makes your first payment due on August 15th.
Amazon accompanied the announcement of HBO NOW for Android with inclusion that it is available for their Fire tablet line and it will be making its way to Fire TV and the Fire TV Stick soon. I gave it an install to check it out as the wife loves a lot of what HBO offers and we have been cable free for 8 years. The app seems to work well and looks pretty solid. Navigation isn’t all that difficult, but you can certainly expect to watch it on the device unless you want to cast the screen to your Chromecast as I see no support for Chromecast. Which still worked, but was a bit glitchy on from the Galaxy S6, might be better on a lower screen quality device. HBO’s announcement video does state that Chromecast support is coming soon though. I have a feeling that will be a big hit when it drops.
Hit the Play Store to grab the app and sign-in if you already have a HBO NOW account. If not, start one up, you do get 30 days to see if you want to keep it before you see a charge.
Download: HBO NOW on the Play Store
Press release:
HBO NOW Available on Fire Tablets, Coming Soon to Amazon Fire TV
Start watching HBO favorites on the latest generation Fire devices—all you need is the internet
Amazon customers new to HBO NOW get 30-day introductory free trial
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 16, 2015– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that HBO NOW is available on Fire tablets, and will be available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick in the coming weeks. HBO NOW is HBO’s internet only streaming service, providing audiences with instant access to all of HBO—addictive series, unforgettable movies, thought-provoking documentaries, thrilling sports programs and entertaining comedy and music specials for just $14.99 a month.
“If there’s one thing Fire TV and Fire tablet customers are telling us, it’s that they love to watch their favorite movies and TV shows. This is why the team is doubling down on adding great new movies and TV shows for Fire TV and Fire tablet customers—in less than five months we’ve added over 700 new channels, apps, and games to Amazon Fire TV, and over 300,000 apps are now available on Fire tablets,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore. “HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking and award-winning TV shows and movies, and we are excited to introduce HBO Now on Fire tablets and soon on Fire TV.”
“Amazon has cultivated an incredibly vast and savvy base of customers that we’re excited to provide with unlimited access to all of HBO through HBO NOW,” said Bernadette Aulestia, Executive Vice President, Global Distribution Operations, HBO. “The addition of Amazon devices is another great stride in the distribution of HBO NOW and affirmation of our long standing partnership with Amazon.”
Starting today, customers can enjoy HBO NOW on the latest generation of Amazon’s Fire tablets. The $99 Fire HD 6 and the $139 Fire HD 7 deliver a world-class entertainment experience—in a compact, pocketable design—with a high-definition display, ultrafast quad-core processor and Dolby Digital Plus Audio. Fire HDX 8.9 combines a 339 ppi HDX display with a powerful quad-core 2.5 GHz processor and the latest Dolby Audio—all in a startlingly light design, giving customers the ability to enjoy TV programming, movies and much more wherever they go. Learn more about Fire HD at http://www.amazon.com/fire-hd and Fire HDX 8.9 at http://www.amazon.com/hdx.
In the coming weeks, HBO NOW will also be available on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, joining the increasing number of developers building for the platform. Selection for Amazon Fire TV has increased by over 700 channels, apps, and games since February, and nearly 2,000 titles are now available, with HBO NOW coming soon. Amazon Fire TV is a tiny box with voice search built right into the remote, and a quad-core processor for seamless streaming; Fire TV Stick is a small streaming media stick that brings an incredible amount of power and content at a great value—it’s just $39. Learn more about Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick at http://www.amazon.com/FireTV and http://www.amazon.com/firetvstick.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Amazon Echo are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150716005433/en/
Source: Amazon
The post HBO NOW, the standalone service, is now available for Android with a 30 day free trial appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google will finally add iPhone-like visual voicemail to Android
Android users on select networks will soon get native “visual voicemail,” a feature that iPhone users have enjoyed since forever. In case you’re wondering, that’s a way of checking and deleting voice mails via an app, rather than having to call a carrier number and go through them one by one. The feature was spied by Android Police on a support ticket for the upcoming Android M release and via Google+ user Danny Hollis. Hollis showed a screen cap of the new interface (below), and said it’s now implemented for T-Mobile in a preview build.
The only problem with the new feature is that it won’t work unless carriers support it, and for now, the only two that do are T-Mobile and Orange in France. Hollis also mentioned that “voicemail will not load on WiFi. Only on mobile data,” so you won’t get the service unless you have a cell signal. The support ticket revealed native voicemail-to-text transcriptions as well, but it’ll reportedly require carrier support, and none are doing so for now. That said, the app is still in a basic state, and features like transcription may be available when Android M arrives in the fall.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Via: Android Police
Source: Google (Android Preview)
AIVAnet 