When Nokia launched its Ovi Store for mobile applications a month ago, it was clear that – despite its less than stellar launch – it would be a mistake to simply dismiss the Finnish mobile juggernaut’s efforts as meaningless. The company may be struggling to stay relevant on the software and services side, but with a reach like Nokia’s on the handset distribution level I think it goes without saying that a lot of eyes are firmly fixed on Nokia’s initiatives in the field.
There was some criticism about the lack of content on the Ovi Store at launch day, particularly because of the fact that a lot of big names were lacking, but I figured I should give it at least a month to see if and how many developers would flock to the platform. Now, I think it’s time to take a look at where they stand after that month, and I thought I’d start by comparing the content offering to that of Apple’s App Store, the central application marketplace for iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
This is evidently not really a fair comparison, since Apple’s App Store has been around for almost a year now, while Nokia is still getting started. Still, it’s worth noting that a lot of the big names on the Internet – whether we’re talking about social networks, search companies or game developers – are still missing on the Ovi Store.
A quick and dirty comparison (note that my top lists for the App Store may differ from yours depending on your location, mine being Belgium, Europe):
Social networks
Ten popular apps in the App Store (free and paid mixed together):
- Facebook
- Skype
- TweetDeck
- Nimbuzz
- fring
- LinkedIn
- Truphone
- AIM
- Tweetie
- BeejiveIM
Ten popular apps in the Ovi Store (free and paid mixed together):
- Gravity (a Twitter client)
- Insy
- Friendster
- ThumbDive
- Hi5
- GyPSii
- IM+ For Skype
- See-Fi
- Twittix (another Twitter client)
- Facebook for Nokia
News and information
Ten popular apps in the App Store (free and paid mixed together):
- BBC World News Live
- NY Times
- AP Mobile
- France24
- Thomson Reuters News Pro
- CNN
- Wall Street Journal
- L.A. Times
- The Telegraph
- USA Today
Ten popular apps in the Ovi Store (free and paid mixed together):
- Daily Star
- Daily Express UK
- France24
- AP News
- Reuters
- The Straits Times (daily newspaper, popular in Singapore)
- The Star (Malaysian newspaper)
- The Guardian
- CNBC
- Breaking News
Music
Ten popular apps in the App Store (free and paid mixed together):
- Sirius XM
- Pandora Radio
- Shazam
- Y! Music
- imeem Mobile
- PocketGuitar
- AOL Radio
- Last.fm
- KCRW Radio
- Ocarina
Ten popular apps in the Ovi Store (free and paid mixed together):
- Mundu Radio
- NME
- MusAic
- Midomi
- Nokia Internet Radio
- Tunerific
- Bandfan
- MixPack
- Mozart Killer
- MyRMX
I could go on with a number of other categories, but I think you’ll agree the trend is clear: Nokia so far hasn’t attracted many familiar names on the Internet to develop and/or submit applications to the Ovi Store.
If the company wants to catch up and make its mobile marketplace a success, that needs to change.
i’m sure the download rate (downloads per hr or per day) of these apps on Ovi store isn’t comparable either.. strange why Nokia did not have (or invite) popular/familiar names before launching?
I agree with Google…I think HTML5 should be the utmost priority for every developer.
Robin, can I submit a guest post on the topic?
“This is evidently not really a fair comparison, since Apple’s App Store has been around for almost a year now, while Nokia is still getting started”
The big search companies, social networks etc also took some time to create apps for the app store.
I agree, this is a dirty comparison.
I agree
How long has an SDK been available? I find the store opening a poor rationale, only because Symbian is an established player.
It is a dirty comparison, I know that. But the argument that it’s only been open for a month can only take you that far. Surely they haven’t kept this secret from everyone, including the big brands and known developers, until the day it launched.
Hmm. One of them is not having a operating system for laptops (count google too). I guess this will be the differentiator in the long run.
Robin let me disagree, I do not think Nokia needs to attract familiar names,this is a chance of the little guys to develop cool Nokia apps.
I have nokia 5800, i downloaded some apps for the store, some of them do not even work, such as the Facebook app.
Nokia is not welcoming indie developers (corporate registration only, certificate $200, signing process including test house ~$500). Definitely not for small guys
whoa, whoa there. Nokia does *not* require the $500+ purchase of a mac mini (Minimum expense) to carry lock-down publisher keys (another $100 if you want to distribute.) apple does, and polly breaking FTC regs in the process.
Nokia requires signed Java and Symb apps, 3rd party. No certification required for WRT widgets, therefor no fee. RTFWS.
Ya gotta give Nokia this: at least they came out with the store and real apps *before* taking yer money on the device (iphone, 8-9 mos. N97=Ovi opening)
As if Nokia hasn’t milked you for your device money before the Ovi store opening…WTF are you on? Nokia only make the N97 now, ey?
Don’t you need to purchase PC, unless you can develop with pan and paper!
So let me understand this. Because a big player like Facebook offers an application that ends up not working on the 5800 that validates your opinion that little guys CAN develop apps that DO work? Twisted logic. It’s not even clear why the app doesn’t work. Maybe the hardware sucks.
I had the Nokia 5800 and everyone was saying it’s easier to use than the iPhone and has more stuff. Any1 with an ipho e knows that the iPhone has revelutionised the phone industry no one will ever be as close to the iPhone. The nokia 5800 offers all these services but all these services come with a price. Also they don’t work. I always thought that the iPhone was a waste of Money but I bit the bullet and bought one. It was the best purchase I ever made I recently upgraded to the 3G [s] and it’s exactly the same but yet completely different. Also the camera on 5800 has a higher pixel camera than the iPhone but yet the iPhone camera is completely immacculate. iPhone is a must have. Nokia are just chancing there arm but apple got here first and now they rule the mobile market
I don’t even know what ‘just changing their arm’ could possibly mean; anyway it’s not some who’s-first contest. It establishes a hell of a lead. See ya next year and tell me what’s missing. And whoever said Nokia’s not attracting big web names: Nokia *is* one. U been drinking the coffee at the Genious Bar, haven’t you…
Are you clinically insane? If I am not mistaken, you are claiming that Apple entered the mobile phone market before Nokia, and furthermore claiming Apple sells more phones than Nokia. That actually could not be more wrong if you tried. Nokia has been making mobile phones as long as there have been mobile phones, and has literally sold billions of phones! I don’t even LIKE Nokia phones, but to claim that ANYONE BUT Nokia “rules the mobile market” is pure insanity.
Last year, Apple sold a hair over 11 million iPhones. Nokia sold a little over 72 million smartphones (out of around 500 million total phones sold)! Apple has a really, really, long way to go before they even catch up with Nokia, much less “rule the mobile market.”
I review Ovi store and applications at oviapplications.com and I happen to agree with Robin that Nokia has not been able to attract developers and well known web services and make a compelling case for its store. The fact that Nokia does not have a direct billing with a mobile carrier in the US, is not helping their cause either.
However, it is foolish to count Nokia out of this race and I expect to see them make major improvements and enhance the overall offering of the store by end of this year. We also know that ATT will offer a direct billing for the Ovi store his year, so expect to see major USA developers jump on board then.
Even though it’s “quick and dirty”, it seems useless to me because it’s only been out a month. There should probably be a year wait before a comparison is done.
I think Gaith makes an important point — Ovi Apps already has the feel of the little (to medium) guys Apps joint. A little more democratic, a little more “open”.
The other thing to consider in any comparison – in addition to waiting for a little more critical mass to gather – is the huge presence of free apps on Ovi. This is a place where a whole new generation of mobile users could eventually come to explore, trial and grow used to using “apps”. And you don’t have to have an iPhone to dig it.
So does the Apple store have all the popular Nokia apps?
Asswipe.
Yeah its premature to do an actual comparison between the App Store and the Ovi Store. I think there’s a great opportunity for App developers and companies to jump in and dominate the Ovi Store as its still in its early stage. Its not as competitive as Apple’s App Store.
Regardless of any other companies. I will always be an Apple fan. Their products are superior and the most durable and reliable.
What a lousy post!
do we have any stats on how many downloads in the first month and compare that against: pre, iphone?
TC is becoming retarded. I think their watercooler is pumping out the Apple koolaid.
VentureBeat and GigaOm time.
What most people don’t understand is that Apple won the AppStore wars about a year ago. Now, all these other appstores are popping up and yet they don’t stand a chance. Apple’s AppStore is the big kid on the block and developers, to maximize their development dollar, are targeting the leading appstore!
WTF would you wanna target Nokia or Palm’s store when so few of their users use apps and their SDKs are shit???
Do what any smart dev does: target AppStore and make the $$$!
iPhone/Touch owners: ~15million
Nokia owners with access to Ovi Store: ~50million
Given the reach and maturity of Symbian, it’s clear that the platform itself has failed to attract many first-tier brands.
While fring may not be in the top ten in the Nokia Ovi store, as a Nokia E71 Fring user, I can tell you that fring (and I’d imagine a lot of other aps) are available for the Symbian S60 platform. You’d have known this if you researched a little bit deeper.
HI… Nokia makes a nice phone. In time I also think they will be able to attract more developers to their store. Too early to tell. The article I believe was written tongue in cheek…
I would like to see when the official app for Skype will be released… They are supposed to have a ‘’strategic” partnership with Nokia…
Just give Nokia some time. Nokia is way more friendly tahn Apple to Open Source, so there will be more variety and more apps. Hey, look at Linux. It took it a while to get the level of Ubuntu. And if you haven’t put Ubuntu on machine, then you are missing out.
Look at what’s been said above: “Nokia is not welcoming indie developers (corporate registration only, certificate $200, signing process including test house ~$500). Definitely not for small guys”
Open source isn’t making much of a difference here.
Just give Nokia some time. Nokia is way more friendly tahn Apple to Open Source, so there will be more variety and more apps. Hey, look at Linux. It took it a while to get the level of Ubuntu. And if you haven’t put Ubuntu on machine, then you are missing out.
if the straits times is a daily newspaper popular in singapore, you might want to mention as well where the ny times is popular. and within ny, where would the wall street journal be popular? and are they daily too?
http://store.ov...ea=applications
What’s it like with adult content? That would be interesting to see if its a platform to develop for instead of Android and RIM
Surprisingly there is less then 2.000 apps on Ovi right now – compare it against 50 MLN supported devices!! AppStore has 50.000 apps and 40 MLN iPhones and iPod Touches sold. Math shows that it’s a gold rush.
It’s a pity that none of the commenters mentioned the download numbers for their apps, either free or paid. We have submitted a few apps to Ovi already – those will be published next week so I don’t have the real world stats on hand right now. We are developing a number of apps for clients right now as well – typically those who had nice concepts that didn’t take up in AppStore due to high competition. Very interested in hearing about download stats if there are Ovi developers here.
What also would be interesting to know what has happened to all those existing Symbian apps. According to Symbian foundation, in 2008 there were over 9,800 released Symbian apps. Why aren’t they in the Ovi Store now?
I think the key question is not how attractive the store is for the customer but how it works with the developer. Apple’s dev tools and platform are more developer friendly and the approval process (for those who fit in) is straightforward. The $200 certification and $500 testing fee can be a problem, even though the Carbide tools nowadays are free.
What carbide tools?
Nokia has more than 50 mln phones on the market. Last year alone, they sold 72 million devices that have Ovi store support, that’s 1 year. Total, Nokia has around 200-300 million ovi store compatible devices on the market.
I wonder if they are going to prepare Skype app for all the latest Nokia versions..
First: Nokia phones are superior in quality, and of course, the ability to actually make a phone call.
Professionals use Nokia phones–Iphones for dropout losers with drug problems who want to play stupid games all day.
Losers–all of them.
Nokia is for the pros. Iphone for the no-shows, and ho’s.
One of us needs to see a shrink. But first tell me all about Balckberry users.
You have to look at the target market share.
Nokia’s market is huge – still over 40% of all mobile phones worldwide are from Nokia. Apple has less than 10%.
Nokia shipped 60.9 million smartphones last year.
You have a greater chance of making more money if you develop for Nokia phones.
You have always been able to purchase software for your Nokia phone and Nokia always provided links to software from their sites. I suppose in US where your carriers seem to screw you over so much, you might not have realized it but Nokia’s app(le envy) store is a step backwards from what we used to have.
What if the applications in the lists reflect the users preferences for their geographical location, instead of “most popular” free or purchased world wide. I would want to be “most popular” in your target geographical location, then work on being the “most popular” worldwide if the app fit worldwide.
There’s another complication in comparing Ovi and AppStore and making inferences about their state of development based on their content:
While iPhone has had great success everywhere, the mass of the market is the US. For Nokia the smartphones (Symbian) to whom ovi stores cater, the majority of phones are in…. Yes, you guessed it: Europe.
So perhaps ovi-store content will always be different. Different continents – different content?
It is obvious that Nokia (or Samsung or Sony or even Amazon and Google) simply cannot get it. I mean how lame can they be trying to imitate Apple and expect to be better?
look nokia phones are a mojority in asia and europe countries and therefore reflect thier tastes
look i live in india and i will never be sure whether the apps i download will work here or not …….
for eg|:sirius xm
that also has to be taken into account
also nokia has different variety of phones for diff purposes
even that has to be taken in to account
What about an app that plays music everytime the train goes into the tunnel?
One thing that the comparison highlights is the fact that iPhone has been doing exceptionally well in States — and Nokia (used to own huge portion of the U.S. market in the early ’90s) has gone out of favor of U.S. operators (the gatekeepers of what phones get sold in States). And also, highlights it the other way around — iPhone’s “success” in India, etc can be categorized as a bad joke, Nokia sells more devices in an hour in India than Apple has managed to sell so far.
All this is easily understood, but I agree that Nokia has plenty of work ahead with its Ovi to get the content partners (and usability) to match Apple’s offering.
But then again, as you noted in your article, it would be foolish to dismiss Nokia — Nokia sells hundreds of millions of phones each year, more than 5 “next biggest” companies together, and plans to bring the Ovi to all its handhelds, starting from the $30 basic phone sold in India to the N97 and everything in-between.
..late ’90s, of course
Never count out those Finns, they outsmarted even the Russians in WWII…
You are missing the point. Apps in the store are irrelevant. What matters is whether the apps have an audience. The number of phones Nokia sold is not a good metric, the number of Ovi store useres however, is.
Nokia have in the past made it absurdly difficult for a developer to make any money developing for their platforms.
Look at their games platform efforts, at one point they expected developers to pay $3.5k for the honor of making software for their failed platform.
where i can buy it
Nokia OVI Store has SMS mobile billing (currently supported by 27 operators, see blog.ovi.com for more details), while Apple does not have SMS billing.
In some countries where Nokia phones are very popular but credit cards are not a usual way of payment, this might help.
You can read this article about N-Gage and SMS payment
http://moconews...arrier-billing/
Just quoting
Nokia’s VP of product management, George Linardos, illustrated just how important operator billing is….“When we start locally with credit card billing and then we move to operator billing, we see a 70 percent lift in sales literally over night.”
In the past this mobile billing influenced sales to a great degree, this might happen again.
The list of content providers is very US centric. Please note the world is slightly bigger.
I think this article came way to early! A better comparison might have been between apple and the android market which has been around a bit longer.
Any comparison with apple will be unfair given the time it has had to get established. A proper comparison would have been to compare where the apple store was after one month. Then perhaps we could have had some decent comparisons. As it was, all we got here was: apple good, nokia bad!
Nokia is still in the middle of the process of transforming from a mobile phone manufacturer to an internet devices manufacturer & services provider. Thet are currently doing huge modification in their middlware. I guess they will need another one or two more years to offer a very attractive environment.
The difference is pretty clear – AppStore has US-centric apps, and Ovi has a worldwide audience.
You can see that in the social networks they use (Friendster and Hi5 but not AIM for Nokia), in the mostly non-US news outlets, and in the music apps (SiriusXM is US-based service, Pandora is (sadly) inaccessible outside of the US).
Since the world is much bigger than the US, this is actually good news for Nokia…
I have got lot of free gud apps from the store.. So far its amazing experience! Great work Nokia!
Ram
One may argue that Nokia is losing now in from of Apple by not having as cool apps and as big names in the store.
However:
a) Outside US Sirius is at best a constellation and there aren’t that many buyers passionate of astronomy to care for a Sirius app ( the same goes for TiVo, and Sling, and so many other ‘big names’ … )
b) A store is a store, the store keeper will earn something but it is the business of those producing the apps that is at risk if they fail to see the huge market represented by Nokia’s phones. It is they that should be beggin Nokia for support and access to the market.
c) Nokia puts their applications in the store, together with 3rd parties (see in the above list as well) so the best app will get on device, unlike Apple killing all 3rd party attepts to penetrate the market with apps that “duplicate phone’s functionality” – only a stupid publisher would fail to notice the open market
Has anyone considered that Nokia apps where and still are available on handango.com long before the app store, so if developers thought ovi store is good place to be it’ll take them less than a week to make them available there.
Here is my take on app stores http://thetechstig.com/?p=22 …i think apple will be the only success story in this arena
Eg. Nimbuzz, Fring and Shazam are available in the Ovi Store too.
CNN application is also in the Ovi Store.