What is keeping retailers from making apps?

[itype2slo]

It seems like more and more mainstream retailers are making apps for the iPhone, whether it be Starbucks, Pizza Hut, UPS, etc. When do they start making these apps available to Android users. The Droid has sold almost 1,000,000 units in a little over a month. With several phones slated for 10' do you think that this will happen?

 

[Dragoro]

Yeah, droids only been out a short time. Retailers wanna make sure its worth their while before they spend time making apps for it. Im sure it wont be long.

 

[noonehereyet]

It may also be because there are so many different versions of Android out and in use not to mention overlays like blur and sense which change things that make developing for the platform a little odd.... once that settles down a bit it will pick up.....

 

[ari-free]

it would be foolish to bet against verizon/google

 

[mrqs]

It may also be because there are so many different versions of Android out and in use not to mention overlays like blur and sense which change things that make developing for the platform a little odd.... once that settles down a bit it will pick up.....

i wouldn't count on it settling down anytime soon; on the contrary - google keeps cooking out new pastries and manufacturers stop supporting old(ish) devices and cram new stuff on their new devices. means there'll be even more diversity

 

[lekky]

I think it will really start yo hit off next year to be honest. When new android phones hopefully continue to make bug impacts, they will realise it is worth their while, and we are already starting to see more official apps from large services

 

[detroid]

With 1 Million Droid sold by year end plus all the other Android units out there and to come these companies will no doubt be jumping on board if they haven't already. Missing out on 1 million + opportunities is not smart business.

 

[trick202]

It is if they don't make the money from it.

If they have a choice of only one platform to work with, then they will go with what is profitable - that's smart business sense.

 

[detroid]

The Android platform can and will be profitable for big business.

 

[mrqs]

If they have a choice of only one platform to work with...

and why on earth would they have a choise of only one platform to work with?

 

[BiGMERF]

it may also be because there are so many different versions of android out and in use not to mention overlays like blur and sense which change things that make developing for the platform a little odd.... Once that settles down a bit it will pick up.....

bingo !!

 

[trick202]

and why on earth would they have a choise of only one platform to work with?

Because a lot of these companies are small niche organisations that tend to tie their colours to a mast.

 

[detroid]

Small niche organizations like Tide detergent and UPS?

 

[trick202]

There are quite a few thousand apps out there, and a few thousands developers also.

How many do you think are large organisations? 5%? 10%?

Yes, if you want to be pedantic about it, there ARE large companies developing also - but very few are taking android seriously at this point.

Maybe that will change (and I eagerly anticipate your next hair-splitting comment) but for now, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

 

[detroid]

I'd say the likelihood of big business taking notice of Android and moving on the opportunity was low before November 6th. I think the Droid has likely changed things as will the Passion and the myriad of other Android handsets coming out in Q1 and Q2 of 2010. I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing apps from companies who already have iPhone apps before summer. It's really a logical move. A free iPhone app like Tide Stain Brain is free advertising and the cost to replicate it for Android is bread crumbs compared to the rest of their advertising budget. Again...with 1 million + potential eyes available big business will go for it.

How many people out of the millions with Android handsets would download an app for their favourite local/regional pizza chain? I know I would download a Jet's Pizza (Michigan) app in a hot second if it gave me a menu and online ordering capabilities.

 

[toefer]

How many people out of the millions with Android handsets would download an app for their favourite local/regional pizza chain? I know I would download a Jet's Pizza (Michigan) app in a hot second if it gave me a menu and online ordering capabilities.

But does Jet's currently have the ability to accept orders from phone apps? If not, is it worth the cost to set that system up?

I think what trick202 was saying is that just because millions of people have Android phones, that doesn't mean it's worth it for all businesses to go making apps for them.

Having the ability to track my packages with a UPS app is cool, but the lack of it isn't going to make me go to FedEx, and I think UPS knows that. Similarly, adding a UPS app isn't going to make FedEx customers switch to UPS.

With or without a Pizza Hut app, my phone is still a phone, and it's just as easy to call Pizza Hut and order a pizza. I could save the number into my contacts, and make it even easier. If the benefit of the app is to find a local Pizza Hut, based on your current GPS location, I'd rather use an app like Where or Places, to find a good local pizza place.

So, sure, the apps would be nice, but I can certainly see why making them isn't of the highest priority.

 

[vincentp]

But does Jet's currently have the ability to accept orders from phone apps? If not, is it worth the cost to set that system up?

I think what trick202 was saying is that just because millions of people have Android phones, that doesn't mean it's worth it for all businesses to go making apps for them.

Having the ability to track my packages with a UPS app is cool, but the lack of it isn't going to make me go to FedEx, and I think UPS knows that. Similarly, adding a UPS app isn't going to make FedEx customers switch to UPS.

With or without a Pizza Hut app, my phone is still a phone, and it's just as easy to call Pizza Hut and order a pizza. I could save the number into my contacts, and make it even easier. If the benefit of the app is to find a local Pizza Hut, based on your current GPS location, I'd rather use an app like Where or Places, to find a good local pizza place.

So, sure, the apps would be nice, but I can certainly see why making them isn't of the highest priority.

I agree completely with this. A lot of apps (from companies big and small) are really cool and useful, but an equal number of them are just a little ridiculous. When did it become a problem to order a pizza or make a reservation over the phone? Are people just lazy? Averse to social interaction? You're still using a phone, you might as well do some phone things with it. We might as well just evolve beyond the need for vocal cords and do everything via text and data.

 

[detroid]

We might as well just evolve beyond the need for vocal cords and do everything via text and data.

Now we're talking. Implant a Droid in my head so I can simply think "Large Pepperoni Pizza from Jet's please" and 30 mins later it is at my door and already paid for because my CC# is also implanted in my brain.

 

[mrqs]

because my CC# is also implanted in my brain.

took me a while to realize CC# meant credit card number, not c-sharp with a typo

does make more sense now

 

[Puffy]

To me the idea is to keep apps free as much as one can.
Even if it took me hundreds of hours to write an app, Id still offer it for free.

 

[hrbib21]

^It is (essentially) Linux so that would make sense. I hope that is the case but this is a market based economy...

 

[pavirotten]

If I can put my two cents in here: Another issue besides OS versions, the time to develop and deploy a workable app, the number of Android users, et al., the one thing that is missing from this conversation is this: How many requests have these organizations had for an Android app?

Verizon is selling a good number of these Android phones, but they don't have a payment app on any of the Android phones, as far as I know. Why is that? I'm willing to bet that they have not had enough requests for such an app.

 

[dmodert66]

It may also be because there are so many different versions of Android out and in use not to mention overlays like blur and sense which change things that make developing for the platform a little odd.... once that settles down a bit it will pick up.....

I disagree (to some extent)...

Wile I think a portion of the reason there are not more mainstream apps has to do with what you state, I think the major reason is due to lack of Android penetration. The Android landscape has changed/is changing over the last few months. With the Moto Droid selling well, along with many many other Android handsets either released, or being released, I don't think companies will have the option to ignore Android any longer. Like detroid said above, with the Droid selling close to 1 million phones by the end of the year, things are looking good for Android! I fully expect to see many higher quality/higher profile apps out in 2010, along with a massive amount of cheapy, poor functioning useless apps (like iPhone also has...heh)...

 

[droid99999]

Very simply, Android wasn't even considered a mainstream OS until about a 5 weeks ago.

Compared to the new Palm Pre, the Android Market is like heaven.

What is keeping retailers from making apps?

 

[noonehereyet]

Very simply, Android wasn't even considered a mainstream OS until about a 5 weeks ago.

Compared to the new Palm Pre, the Android Market is like heaven.

That statement.. whoa.... Not sure why people seem to think Android didn't exist until the droid it was big over a year ago when Tmobile sold 1 million G1's it was big 9 months ago when Tmobile started selling the MyTouch3G it was big when sprint started selling the Hero 6 months ago... Why now that 1 of the devices is finally being advertised would it be any more mainstream than it has been.... itll be even bigger in 4 more months when 3 new phones are out... the droid did not make it main stream it was already there.... just another step to the top of the mountain... And having written apps i can honestly tell you the issue is the amount of versions and overlays that are holding us back.... it is EXTREMELY hard to perfect an app when you have all the different builds and devices to contend with... and unfortunately most will base things on the build with the widest coverage at this point thats 1.5