AppleInsider: The difference between iOS and Android is not in apps, the next battleground is services

By Mikey Campbell

The quality of apps on Apple's iPhone operating system (iOS ) and Google's Android mobile operating system has become comparable, prompting the two tech giants to compete for better built-in services, according to a new study from Piper Jaffray investment bank.

Source: Piper Jaffray Investment Bank

In a report to investors on Monday, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said his testing of the top 200 paid and free apps on the iOS App Store and Google Play showed that the quality of apps and the consumer experience were comparable between the two competing operating systems. Likewise, apps are no longer a "selling point" but have become a given on modern smartphones.

"The app ecosystem has reached a point where it no longer matters how many apps are included per operating system, but rather how satisfied users are with them," Munster wrote. "The next step is to compare where apps were and are today from a user's perspective."

In the test, Munster compared the star ratings of the top 200 apps on the iOS and Android app stores. The study found a large gap in the number of reviews for paid and free apps on each platform. Users of paid iOS apps submitted 6.1 million reviews or ratings, compared to 3.4 million for Android. For free apps, Android led the way with 61.9 million reviews, while iOS users submitted only 26.7 million reviews.

In the crossover of the top 200 apps, there are 38 paid and 74 free apps on both platforms. Looking at the total score of these popular apps, Android has an average score of 4.28, while iOS has a similar score of 4.16.

Munster believes these numbers are a result of iOS users being more engaged with paid content, which gives developers better feedback. Still, the analyst believes developers will take advantage of the opportunity to make apps for both platforms. More importantly, customers seem to be happy with the offerings on each store, Munster said.

It’s unclear whether the study took into account the types of users who rate, as this feedback is an opt-in feature for both platforms.

Munster said that with equal app competition, the new battleground is in value-added services such as Siri and Google Now, both of which are deeply integrated into their respective platforms. The analyst also found a nearly identical experience here, meaning that competition may extend beyond virtual digital assistant software. iPhone 5s TouchID and Google's voice activation are examples of this new front.

Munster believes that in 2014, Apple has the opportunity to launch a "game-changing" service on its iOS-exclusive paid platform, but did not elaborate on specific feasible plans.

Although it is just speculation, Apple may push iBeacons and expand Passbook support to credit cards. Apple management is currently taking a "take it slow" approach to the so-called "e-wallet", although the key hardware and software parts are ready, which indicates that a more concerted effort is needed in the field of mobile payments.

Via: 199it Translated from AppleInsider