A chat with an indie app developer

From my first gig as an reviewer for the now-defunct iPad N Gravy (no link; Safari warns that the site has been compromised by malware) to my current digs here at iPod to iPad I’ve seen a lot of indie apps. Many were games, but all were the product of someone (or a select few someones) with an intriguing idea, skill, and the drive to bring their concept to an app store. While I have professed my affection for indie apps (who doesn’t love an underdog?) I have to date little exposure to the brave souls that actually breathe life into the little icon on your smartphone’s screen.

I was recently contacted by Tam Hanna of Tammoggemon, the developer of TouchCalc, a powerful (and free) graphing calculator app for Android, BlackBerry, and eventually iOS. While I restrict my writing to products within the Apple envirosphere, he was kind enough to chat with me about what its like to be an independent app developer.

Not surprisingly, he followed a similar track to my best friend from high school, programmer Scott Lemmon (you’re still missed, Scott). He had some formal education, but was primarily self-taught through study of a field he found interesting; reaffirming something I’ve long stressed- no matter how complex something is, if you find it interesting you’ll pick it up far easier than you would have thought. Here’s a short excerpt of our discussion:

Is app design your first career or did you find yourself drawn to it?

 A: I have been hounding the mobile IT scene since 2004, so yes, one can say that it is my first and primary career.

Was there any one particular platform or operating system that first sparked you to start developing?

 A: Definitely Palm OS and OnBoardC. Hacking a mobile app on a mobile phone is just insanely cool – it is a pity that this isn’t possible anymore.

What are the differences or barriers developing for different mobile OS?

 A: This is a good and hard question. To developers who start coding for mobile for the first time, the legalese – think certification and such – can be quite a burden. But once you have the structure set up, this becomes easy. The next issue is the different API and languages. As you gain experience in IT, this becomes less and less of an issue as the fundamental concepts largely are the same across platforms.

Is the process of getting an app approved for the various Android outlets difficult?

 A: My experience with Samsung shows that the staff are rarely unhelpful or actively trying to hinder or annoy developers. Instead, they try to eliminate errors before your users find them; this can really save face. Of course, the clocks do tick a little different at Apple. After all, these boys get a lot of press out of being tough to developers.

 How long did it take you to release the current version of TouchCalc? 

 A: About a month from concept to the first beta. Samsung’s QA team was very helpful, but generally is known to be rather docile towards apps.

Are you working on any other projects, or are you focusing on honing TouchCalc? 

 A: The frequent update cycle promised does take a lot of resources inside of Tamoggemon. Nevertheless, we currently plan to port TouchCalc to Android, BB10 and – given feasibility – Symbian. We are also open to new product ideas, but currently have nothing open in that area.

In my correspondence with Tam I found him to be stereotypical of the geek culture I’ve grown up with- intelligent, motivated, and a generally good guy. I enjoyed the insight into the world of developing; I find it completely fascinating- it’s not very often that we get an insight into how the things we use every day come to be. If you have a non-iPhone handset, help support the passion of an indie developer and give TouchCalc a look!

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Cell providers steering customers away from the iPhone?

Numerous reports are surfacing today on the unwritten policy of the two larger cellular providers AT&T and Verizon to have associates steer in-store customers away from iPhones and to Android or Windows handsets. Activations of new phones on AT&T service seem to reflect this policy as iPhone sales have fallen from approximately 80% of all smartphones to between 50-60%.

There are numerous reasons for carriers to convince customers to purchase something other than an iPhone. The iPhone has closed architecture, and can’t be preloaded with proprietary software or front ends like some Android handsets. The margin on the iPhone is likely less than other handsets thanks to both Apple’s negotiating might and competitor’s willingness to take less to gain a foothold in the market. iPhones don’t support LTE yet, so those customers aren’t going to purchase the more expensive LTE data plans being offered (and needing more of it thanks to LTE’s blazing speed compared to 3G). iPhone users have also been shown to actually use their devices more than Android owners, spending far more time browsing and interacting with their network connection thus costing carriers more to provide service.

I’ve witnessed this gentle bullying secondhand. I’ve been called to help a friend who lost their iPhone and wanted a replacement, only to be strongarmed by an AT&T associate that insisted a Samsung handset was better. For some it may very well be, but for my friend it was a disaster- she lacks any technological aptitude and just couldn’t navigate Android’s inner workings like she could with the familiar iPhone. I instructed her to return the handset for something she was comfortable with, but the story didn’t have a completely happy ending- AT&T charged her a $30 restocking fee, and refused to issue refunds for the $35 case or microSD card they insisted she purchase with the handset.

Whether the inspiration is financial or in retaliation to a company they see as having too large of market share, there is a palpable push to steer customers away from the iPhone. Even before this bit of news I have advised family and friends to just go to our local Apple store instead of the carrier’s outlet; the customer service is vastly better and the level of support can’t be compared. For those that don’t have the luxury of an Apple store your best bet is to order the device directly from Apple.

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Interpreting mobile market share

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)  released a breakdown of an analysis on mobile device market share- essentially what percentage of users employ the various mobile operating systems.

Before looking at the figures I would have thought that Android, with their broader number of devices and manufacturers to choose from (as well as prices, multiple Android handsets can be had for free with a contract, where the iPhone 3GS was only recently reduced to free/99 cents with contract). According to CNET 43.7 percent of smartphone users have an Android handset, with 27.7 percent owning an iPhone (but these figures don’t include tablets, where Apple’s iPad has far outsold any competitors).

Surprisingly, the mobile web marketshare was very different that I had expected. Apple’s iOS garnered 65% of the market, far outstripping Android’s 20% (and that figure has actually grown from last month’s 62% iOS share). Other competitors ranked so poorly they really don’t even rate as a competitor- Windows Phone and Symbian scored only 1%, and Blackberry’s foundering platform ranked a measly 2%.

So what do these numbers mean? One easy answer is that Apple’s focus on user experience is paying off yet again; the market share is a clear indication that users are not only snapping up iOS devices as fast as they can be manufactured, they are actually using them. The online presence shows that iOS devices are being used for more than a telephone or media consumption device, owners are using their devices as web portals.

This is reflected by app purchases- sales of Android apps is a fraction (up to six times less) of Apple’s App Store. A comparison of multi platform apps showed that Android versions generated only 24% of the revenue generated by the iOS version. Even Google generates four times more advertising revenue via iOS than their own operating system.

Ultimately, these figures are indicative of adherence to strategy and vision. Apple made their devices to look good, be straightforward and reliable to use, and offer the best all around experience. Apple created their mobile platform as a compliment to their comprehensive product line of devices and services, with all devices working seamlessly together. The foundation had been laid long before thanks to the iPod and iTunes. The various iOS devices have acted as gateway products for sales of other, more expensive devices as well as multimedia. Android lacked this foundation; the handsets still act more as stand-alone devices rather than part of a larger ecosystem.  While Android has made significant improvements, it still faces some crucial hurdles- fragmentation (differing generations and versions of Android abound), difficulty in updating devices, poor app vetting (Google’s own app store has housed malware), differing quality devices from manufacturers, and a lack of a unified end user experience.

Regardless of the hurdles it faces, Android is still a force in the market. Apple lacks any other competition (at least until the Windows 8 handsets reach the market later this year), and the market needs Android to drive innovation. Android does offer some unique value to customers: its integration with Google services is fantastic, and some of its integrated functions have been judged better than comparable ones in iOS. Ultimately, developers are the lifeblood of a device ecosystem, and developers follow revenue. Over the long term, user profitability and lower app revenues could be a significant problem for Android.

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