ROUNDTABLE: Can app stores only work for Apple?

Almost every smartphone manufacturer, mobile OS provider or operator you care to mention has either launched an app store, is planning to launch an app store, or is rumoured to be launching an app store...

And it's all because of Apple and its game-changing content strategy for iPhone.

RIM unveiled its BlackBerry App World last week, Android market is gaining traction, Nokia is due to open its doors in May, Microsoft's is due later this year and Samsung is pushing its beta.

Can the rest of the industry learn from Apple's example and eventually trump it, or will they always be playing catch-up?

That’s exactly what we asked a selection of mobile content industry execs...

Antony Douglas, Telefónica O2 UK
“Apple has shown that simplicity, superior user experience and smart marketing can elevate something from niche to mass market in one stunning move. Catching Apple will be difficult; who truly competes with iTunes for music? Everyone else should look to their strengths. O2, for example, can be a trusted facilitator and can work with tier one or start-up developers (through our developer community, O2 Litmus) to market their apps. When we pitched our first iPhone app at Christmas 50 per cent of customers redeemed the offer. Device vendors need to think beyond replicating apps stores and start using their kit more readily to promote services, by utilising the idle screen, for instance.”

Peter Cowley, Endemol
“However much I would like the rest of the industry to catch up with Apple and provide consumers with an open, easy to use app store, no-one is positioned to match the success of the Apple app store. Apple has the advantage of supporting one device that is extremely easy to use. This has attracted thousands of developers, big and small, who create sophisticated apps without the need for testing on multiple devices and aren’t at the mercy of the operators to get carriage on their mobile portals. Things might change once all mobiles become high speed internet devices open to all browser based applications.”

Patrick Mork, GetJar
“It’s important to keep in mind that the Apple Store has unique advantages that make it difficult to replicate: the device, the brand and the iTunes ecosystem. That said, it is possible to make progress given breadth and depth of content, easy discoverability and an offering that’s independent of device/platform. Community also plays an important role through feedback and the sharing of experiences. GetJar even allows certain consumers to beta test apps. The final piece of the puzzle is independence. By supporting all handsets and platforms you encourage viral marketing among consumers. Recommendations are easy if consumers don’t have to worry about what handsets their friends have. Then you only have 1,000 other things to worry about…”

Alex Meisl, Sponge
“Without a doubt other app stores can succeed. We shouldn’t forget that while Apple has made great strides, its market share is still pretty low. What Apple has done is raise the profile of handset apps by making the process seamless and intuitive. It can only encourage the rest to work on their interfaces: if I download an app on my Nokia, I do not want a message saying ‘warning, you are about to download from an untrustworthy source.’ Vendors need to ensure that consumers can use their devices without resorting to complex user-guides. Apple has shown that it can be done.”

Peter Sells, BBH
“Will it work for others? Yes. Will it work as well or as quickly? No. Apple holds all the cards: massive experience in selling digital content, millions of legacy users, absolute control over what content is available, the most useable handset, and a single platform that reduces development time, ensures compatibility and attracts content creators. Finally, but just as importantly, its brand is so trusted that consumers are happy to offer up their credit card details.  This perfection is not easily replicated. The question should really be whether it will work for the consumers? I suspect that the new app stores may suffer in comparison but anything that allows better discovery and supports content consumption is ‘A Good Thing’.”

Martin Gossling, Movidilo
“Solutions already exist that can link any type of device to a ‘store’ where apps or widgets that have been built for that device, can be downloaded.  Other technology such as binary portability from OpenKod, Antix and others ensure that a game, for example, can run on multiple devices. The Movidilo platform is specifically built to provide a rich user experience across all manner of devices and a cross platform app store has already been considered. The only limitation is that Apple has only one device and as you increase the number of handsets on the store, not all of them will have access to the same number of apps as other platforms.”

Neeraj Roy, Hungama Mobile
“I believe the App Store is a first step toward a complete mobile lifestyle – an extension of the online experience most of us are becoming used to. The success of app stores on other handsets is completely dependent on their devices, ease of discovery, display and navigation capability. In May, the N97 will either pave the way for more to follow or the iPhone will remain a singular phenomenon for sometime to come.”

Robin Jewsbury, Mippin
“Yes, they can if they take the same care of attention to detail in the user experience Apple did. This means single click access to choose, purchase, download and run the app without any annoying security and connection confirmations questions. There is a lot wrong with Apple’s approach – particularly the approval process taking more than a week. Android’s answer is to allow all apps in but allow money back if un-installed within a time period. This is surely a better approach. Nokia is adding social discovery features almost identical to those we built into Mippin. This can make for a more serendipidous user experience.”

Gautam Sabharwal, Tanla Mobile
“An applications store is a universal concept that can work for any operator or handset manufacturer. Apple has done a good job and set a precedent, but it is not the market leader for smartphones.

"Symbian, Palm, RIM, Windows and ...