As some of you know, I'm team-teaching a mobile application development course this semester. We're focusing on the Android platform the first half of the semester and the iPhone platform in the second half.With all the hype surrounding the iPhone and Android platforms and their app stores, a question that some might ask is, "Can I get rich developing mobile applications?"
If you're in it just for the money, you're chasing after disappointment. Just ask the writer of Ecclesiastes how much joy and satisfaction there is in great riches. However, I do think it's prudent to investigate if training to be a mobile application developer is worth the investment in time and money.
Apple recently reported that 3 billion apps had been downloaded from its App Store in less than 18 months, and according to Juniper, revenue for mobile applications will hit $24 billion by 2014. That smells like opportunity. However, Michael Mace (former Chief Competitive Officer and VP of Product Planning at Palm) believes mobile application developing is a dead end, primarily because there are so many platforms on which to develop and because web-based apps have a better future:
"I think Web applications are going to destroy most native app development for mobiles. Not because the Web is a better technology for mobile, but because it has a better business model."I personally believe both native and web-based apps have their place, and there's no reason to give up on native mobile applications just yet.
So returning to the "rich" question, I've found a number of articles that address this topic. I just emailed these articles to my students, and I thought I'd share them here:
- Want to quit and also get rich? Write iPhone Application to enter the gold rush
"iShoot sold nearly 17,000 copies, which meant a $35,000 day’s take for Mr. Nicholas... 'That’s when I called my boss and said, "We need to talk"... and I quit my job.'"
- 15 iPhone Apps Created by College Students
"Carnegie Melon sophomore Jeffery Grossman developed Movies.app to connect iPhone users to local theater information. Shortly after his application was downloaded over 250,000 times, he sold the rights to Flixter for a reportedly generous undisclosed amount."
- Just How Much Money Can Free iPhone Apps Make? Quite A Bit
"The AdWhirl report... says that applications that crack the top 100 in the Free Apps list make $400-$5000 a day." (in advertising revenue)
- Striking It Rich: Is There An App For That?
"Not only have most sellers failed to turn a profit... even developers with high-ranking games and applications have made far less than commonly thought. Many come nowhere near recouping their investment at all."
- One billion iPhone apps downloaded. But how many are worth it?
"'You'll have better luck in Vegas,' says Howard Cohen, an independent software engineer and consultant who has one app out and another in the works. 'Most people do not make much money, or even [get] their costs back, when selling their apps for the iPhone.'"
All these stats are for iPhone apps... I'm curious what the Android market is like. My impression is that many iPhone apps fail to sell because of the sheer number number of apps released. The App Store is in the aftermath of a gold rush, and instead of a few people making it big, you have a lot of people making very little.
ReplyDeleteThe Android market, however, is much newer, and everyone's attention seems to be on the iPhone. Perhaps there's more opportunity there.
I'm just a simple college student, but I think the idea that in the future all mobile apps will be web-based is mistaken. Web-based apps may be cross-platform, but they require a web server (extra cost) and may be hampered by a user's slow internet connection. Like almost everything in this field, there's different tools for different situations.
I couldn't find any stats on the Android market... perhaps its just too young.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is everyone who develops for iPhone will port their apps over to Android, so you're likely to see few apps that aren't available on both platforms in the future.
Thought I would chime in. I recently completed a windows mobile project, that used barcode scanning, at work. I have also spent the weekend learning as much as I can about Android and am starting an Android project for fun.
ReplyDeleteAs programming for mobile computers becomes more mainstream and some of the tools become more powerful, business will start to request information they get from their normal systems on their phones. That is where the fragmentation issues of the different phones comes into play. So mobile development will be a slice of the development pie at businesses.
For the individual developer, i think that developing an app can be fun, rewarding (personally and in the career sense). Though it may not get you rich, because of the low price points and competition. Every single idea I have come up with, I think as been done.
cyrus
""I think Web applications are going to destroy most native app development for mobiles." What is most?. Given that the mobile phones are packing more horse power and requires unique user experience (based on device characteristics) the hypothesis waters down.
ReplyDeletePerformance: Not may app categories requires high performance. However, gaming apps will be a killer app category for mobile phones. Thats where most money will be made, specially in ad-funded models, due to high user time spent. Writing a web only game will not cut it.
User experience: Look at google voice app on iPhone although good functionality, the look and feel of app sucks. Dialing a # is pain, finding contacts and txt messages is tedious. I wish there was app for that. Another example is iPhone youtube app versus m.youtube.com. The app is certainly much easier to use.
Therefore, it is safe to predict that successful mobile software app architecture will be ones that optimizes local device processing/look and feel and cloud based storage/configurations/sync. Web only (most ?) mobile apps is a distant dream IMO.