 |
| Apple and Google have default apps |
If you use an iPhone or Android phone, most of the apps you use often are likely developed by Apple and Google.
This is a review of a new study by Comscore that evaluates the popularity of pre-installed iOS and Android apps with apps from other developers.
The results show that most of the apps people use on their phones are pre-installed from Apple or Google.
This report is the first of its kind and has been commissioned by Facebook, one of the iPhone makers' biggest critics.
For core services like weather, photos, and clocks, pre-installed services dominate, indicating that these categories are difficult to compete with other apps.
Standard apps don't always seem to matter because Apple Maps and Music apps don't appear in the iOS menu.
The timing of the study's publication is clearly required by Facebook, as Apple and Google are increasingly under scrutiny for favoring their services over their competitors.
US lawmakers are currently considering a number of new bills designed to constrain the power of big tech companies, including laws that could prevent Apple and Google from improving their services over their competitors.
The discrepancy stems from the way Apple and Google integrate their apps and services with their mobile operating systems, which some of their competitors believe is unfair.
Apple's criticism is getting stronger because it has more control over the pre-installed apps on the iPhone and doesn't allow developers to bypass the App Store.
It's hard to say how popular these pre-installed apps are compared to third-party apps. This is because Apple and Google do not disclose the number of users of their standard applications.
Apple and Google outperform the market
Research companies regularly monitor the popularity of apps that can be downloaded from the App Store. But Comscore's research is the first attempt to show how virtual apps can compete with apps from other developers.
Comscore surveyed nearly 4,000 people using data collected from apps and websites.
The results showed that 75% of the top 20 iOS apps were developed by Apple. And Google made 60% of the best Android apps. The first four apps were built on both platforms by the respective parent companies.
Facebook is the only third party to have multiple apps in the iOS list. It is also the only developer to have three apps in the Android list.
Facebook paid comscore research to demonstrate the impact of pre-installed apps on the competitive app ecosystem.
Social media executives have long criticized Apple's restrictions on third-party developers. This is because it hinders the ability to distribute mobile games and compete with iMessage.