Apple is still the undisputed king of revenue when it comes to app sales, closing out 2012 with over three-and-a-half times the amount of return in comparison to Google Play. But lest you think the race for your app dollars is over, Android is showing increased signs of life, spurred on by an ever-growing market overseas.
According to App Store analytics firm App Annie, Google Play doubled its revenue from Q3 to Q4 in 2012. In fact, Google Play saw faster growth over year, steadily rising since January 2012. Overall, Android usage is expanding at an incredible rate globally, thanks in no small part to increasing smartphone markets in Japan and South Korea.
The U.S., Japan, and South Korea account for the top-three regions in terms of Google Play revenue of games. App Annie attributes a crazy 95-percent of South Korea's Google Play revenue to gaming apps, in comparison to 76-percent in the United States.
But despite the growth of Android, Apple's App Store is still the biggest game in town (or the world, for that matter). Looking at the App Annie revenue index for 2012, it's clear Google Play has a long way to go before catching up to Cupertino. Still, a trend is a trend, and if overseas Android adoption continues at this pace, Google Play may one day prove a serious contender for the top spot.
As far as Apple is concerned, it's no doubt relying on the boom of iOS devices in China to add ballast.
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