Click To View Slideshow» Traditionally, Android users haven't been willing to buy apps, but they should reconsider.
Android's poly-manufacturer ecosystem has long since eclipsed iOS as the world's most popular mobile operating system. However, app developers still tend to fare better in the Applesphere—financially speaking. Even though Google Play regularly outshines the App Store in total number of downloads, Apple users are far more willing than their Android counterparts to actually plunk down cash for their apps.
This is not surprising, given what we know about users of each ecosystem. Speaking very broadly, Apple is a premium brand that appeals to users who will spend extra for what they believe (rightly or wrongly) to be a superior experience, while Android is the mass appeal brand for those who are fine with the basics.
To put it another way: iOS is Nirvana to Android's Candlebox; Quentin Tarantino to Guy Ritchie; or perhaps even 1980s Apple to 1980s Windows.
My fellow Android users, it's unfortunate that you're not buying apps. Your hesitance is one reason iOS users get the cool apps first. The Android app developer community is now growing by leaps and bounds, but that is based on the sheer number of Android users out there. Just imagine how dynamic our shared ecosystem would be if there was a correlating financial incentive!
It's not like apps are that expensive—very rarely do they go north of the $5 mark. And consider that these apps are, in many cases, so much more useful than the software of the PC era that would regularly cost $40 and $50.
Really, when you think about it, apps—truly worthwhile apps—are some of the best bargains available.
The alternative is barf-inducing mobile ads or sly freemium models that prey on the ignorant. Everybody wins when you are willing to shell out a little for the apps you use every day. Here we present 16 apps available for download in Google Play that are completely worth the tiny cost of entry.
(If you're an iOS fan who's on the fence about buying apps, check out this list.)
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