Although Apple’s App Store continues to outpace the Google Play Store when it comes to consumer spending, total app revenue for both stores reached $39.7 billion worldwide, according to reports.
That number represents the first half of the year, and it’s an increase of 15.4 percent from the $34.4 billion from the same time period last year.
Global users spent around $25.5 billion in the App Store, which is a 13.2 percent year-over-year increase from last year. That number is 80 percent higher than Google Play’s estimated revenue of $14.2 billion, which is almost 20 percent higher than it was a year ago.
Total growth overall is down due to slower iOS growth in China, but analysts said they think China will get back to positive growth in the next year.
Another factor in the downturn could be Netflix’s decision to stop in-app subscriptions for both the App Store and Play Store. The numbers will steadily decline, especially because Netflix was the second-biggest non-game app in terms of earnings in the first half of the year at $339 million. That number is down from $459 million a year ago, when it was the No. 1 non-game earner.
This year’s top non-game earner is Tinder, which made $497 through both app stores. That number is up 32 percent from a year prior. Recent data shows that growth in the dating app sector hasn’t reached expectations. A recent study predicted 25.1 million people would use a dating app monthly this year, down from a previous prediction of 25.4.
The study, done by eMarketer, also predicted that only 21 percent of eligible adult singles will use a dating app, and that will grow to only 23 percent by 2023. Analysts said that could mean that Tinder’s reign at the top spot might be short lived. Other apps, especially ones in China, could overtake Tinder and become the most popular.
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