Tech Forum

Unfair question to the forum! If more Android OS phones are being sold worldwide, when will more Android apps be developed for LDS users?

When evaluating a smartphone purchase recently, I checked around. The research suggested "smartphone sales to end users" showed Android OS sales outnumbered Apples iOS phones the past two years. This year is on track to post even stronger Android Sales, double that of iOS...2011 2nd quarter data alone: Android phones sold, 43%, compared to Apples iOS, 18%. (Gartner research)

But the new mobile apps from LDS.org are still coming out for iOS only!

LDS mobile apps, Android OS count: 3
LDS mobile apps, iOS count: 6 (including the newest one released last week, just for iOS)

Just wondering which way the wind is blowing before I make my purchase....

I would imagine it has less to do with "the church" and more to do with the talent and time availability of the individuals in the two development teams. I believe most of the apps are community projects. So it would depend on which way the communities work out.

Of course, Android isn't doing itself any favors in the development arena with the range of versions, flavors and capabilities out there.

I believe the count is 4 to 6 (common to both are Tools, Library, Mormon Chanel, Youth) - missing is scripture mastery and music. The Deseret ebook app also was delayed for Android.

JohnShaw wrote:I believe the count is 4 to 6 (common to both are Tools, Library, Mormon Chanel, Youth) - missing is scripture mastery and music. The Deseret ebook app also was delayed for Android.

I took my count from the lds.org mobile apps page, which lists them as I stated above: Youth as available for iOS, but does not list it as available for Android. Not having a smart phone, and thus being unsmart...I can't say what the true count would be if it is not stated correctly on lds.org.

kisaac wrote:I took my count from the lds.org mobile apps page, which lists them as I stated above: Youth as available for iOS, but does not list it as available for Android.

Looking at Google's Android Market, John appears to be correct.

Have there been any updates to whether or not the scripture mastery or music apps will be released for Android? Thanks.

You're also looking at phones and ignoring the tablet market. Look around see what people are using at church. I've seen maybe one non iOS tablet to 50 iPads. I also see in my ward and stake a majority of smartphones users using the iPhone. The percentage is not as great as tablets but in my area it has a definite number advantage.

mprusse wrote:I also see in my ward and stake a majority of smartphones users using the iPhone.

The majority of the ones I see in my area are Androids. Probably because they are the less expensive smartphone models.

The tablets I've seen tend to iPad, but I think the ratio is closer to 1 in 10 for non-iPads.

I saw my first phablet last Sunday. Tempting.

I've seen stats on how big the smartphone/tablet market is. Androids are being activated at the rate of six million per week, or around 850,000 per day. That's the equivalent of putting an Android device into the hands of almost everyone in Salt Lake County each and every day.

As noted, the iPhone and iPads are the biggest single devices in their market, tens of millions of each are being sold each quarter, but the biggest OS is Android, due to the larger number of manufacturers and different devices.

We've not only got to think of our members, but the much larger nonmember market as well, they'll come across our apps, get curious, and maybe want to know even more about us from finding apps, this particularly may be true with Mormon Channel, the Bible Videos, and the new basic Book of Mormon app that is out there. But the others will see action as well and invite missionary contact.

Brother Anderson you are exactly right. Thank you for pointing out what should be the obvious but sadly is being over looked. I had some questions about the Bible Videos android app a few weeks ago and I had to call a lot of different departments to try and get any kind of support. I finally got someone to talk to me and forwarded my questions on to somebody else but they would not tell me who. After a few days I got a response back. But not the one I was hoping for. I asked them about the features mentioned in their response I pasted below. They said it may take a long time before it is addresses. In other words they don't feel that Android devices are worth spending their time on. I also Just discovered that one of the Bible Videos in my Android app will not play at all but the others play just fine. Has any one else had this problem?

"The 'Listen' and 'Explore' features found on the iPad are currently not planned for development on the Android devices. He asked when they would be available for Android, unfortunately I don't know. We will submit his request for it, but it may be a long while before it is addressed.”