The Third Party Application Market on Phones and PDAs

On my Newton, I downloaded maybe 20 apps. I bought two over the wire. I even bought one in a retail package. On my Palm vX, I bought two apps. A Paris City Guide and a VT100 Terminal app. On my other phones and devices between then and now I’ve downloaded two apps. One was … Continue reading “The Third Party Application Market on Phones and PDAs”

On my Newton, I downloaded maybe 20 apps. I bought two over the wire. I even bought one in a retail package.

On my Palm vX, I bought two apps. A Paris City Guide and a VT100 Terminal app.

On my other phones and devices between then and now I’ve downloaded two apps. One was a Telnet/SSH client for my SonyEricsson K800i which was so bad that I never used it and certainly never bought it.

The other was yesterday when I bought and downloaded Sonic the Hedgehog for my 5G iPod (the one I have donated to the kids, secure in a iFrogz Tadpole wrap).

I’m beginning to think that, based on my experience, the third party application market on Phones and PDAs might be a bit of a sham. I’ve spent hundreds of pounds on software for my Mac so I’m not averse to spending a bit of cash when something catches my eye.

The logic remains. I’ve only bought software for 3 devices. My Newton, my Palm vX and my iPod. Not one purchase for any of my phones in the past.

I think this is what will make the big difference in the PDA market. I think we’ll see an explosion of sales for the iPhone in third party applications even with the premium Apple will demand for signing.

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  4. iPhone Day

0 thoughts on “The Third Party Application Market on Phones and PDAs”

  1. I know that one year I made $100,000 selling a single application for mobile devices. So I think the market is there, if you make something that people actually want.

    Of course, that was a few years ago, and we’re much more into the culture of “duh, why would I buy something I can download from a dodgy site for free?”.

    Frankly, the downside to the Internet is that IP has been obliterated, and everyone under 30 expects everything to be free. That’s the real challenge. As a result, I would suggest going the service route – releasing an application/service that costs a quid a month to use, with new content provided every month. Or hope that Apple handles iPhone software sales with their (currently) rather secure iTunes-only delivery model.

  3. Tell us more about the selling for mobile devices? What was the product? Price? How long did it take to sell $100K? That’s the interesting stuff!

    I think the success of the iTunesstore, though a fraction of the “download” market, highlights that people are willing to pay for things they value.

  4. I created an astronomy application for Windows Mobile devices. It sold for $30 through an online store. That amount was approximate money I made through sales in one year.

    If you promise support and updates (i.e. a form of service), there are enough honest people to make selling software worthwhile as an independent. I get the feeling that the Mac and iPhone are just ripening into the perfect market.

    It’s depressing to see how quickly your work is stolen and put online though for free. That can be very disheartening.

  7. I was driving around Seattle earlier in the year, and saw a very fancy red car – a Lotus I think – with a license plate of “powned”. Yeah, it was Shipley. I’m surprise he was able to fit his ego in that car 😉

    I’ll have a look at his talk. He does know what he’s talking about, that’s for sure.

    Yeah, I’m not complaining about the sales of my software AT ALL. To think I gave it up to go work for Microsoft…

  8. I’m interested in the demographics of people who buy software that comes from “indie” software developers.

    Wil’s car is obviously a….uh…ego extension…but he’s funny and reminds me of Henry Rollins, one of my heroes 🙂 I think it’s the haircut

  9. As you might expect, almost exclusively male, early-adopter, tech-heads. They have money, and want the latest stuff: IF you convince them it’s cool or ahead of the curve.

    Now: tap into the right casual gamer / ring-tone audience, and you will be able to get a Lotus for every day of the week.

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