If you have a Google phone or any type of Android, you are often joked about among your friends who have iPhones. Those with Apple products are often quick to take jabs about Android cameras, apps, etc. Today, some of your friends can add another thing to joke about. Through the first half of 2018, Apple’s App Store has managed to nearly double the revenue of the Google Play Store. According to a report from Sensor Tower, Apple’s App Store has managed to rake in $22.6 billion in comparison to the $11.8 billion that the Google Play Store has pulled in during the first half of 2018.
The difference in revenue between the two app store’s is nothing new. For years, Apple’s App Store has managed to pull in more profit than the Google Play Store. The biggest reason for this is that Apple users have historically spent more on apps than their Android counterparts. In addition, there are a number of alternatives for non-Apple users to find apps. For example, Android users in China do not have access to the Google Play Store, but there other alternatives like the Samsung App Store or the Amazon App Store. Making matters worse for Google, the Apple App Store is available in nearly every country that has access to such technology.
On the bright side, consumer spending on apps is up across the board for both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Sensor Tower’s report estimates that spending for iOS user is up 26.8% and spending within the Googe Play Store is up 29.7% from this time last year. These numbers will only increase as the year goes on. As the gap widens, the Google Play Store will look for more inventive ways to shorten the gap.
