My day job is a manager for a major big box retailer. We sell a lot of tablets and cell phones. Of course there are many cheaper off-brand devices out there.
Well over 50% of these off-brand devices are returned.
Other than shear lack of quality and poor workmanship the main reason these devices are returned is the lack of Google Play. They say Android app compatible on the box. What they do not say is that they work only with proprietary markets. I did not quite understand this until now…
I learned firsthand when I bought two Kurio Kids Tablets for my kids for Christmas. They said Android tablets so I naturally assumed I could install all of their favorite apps (and mine
) from Google Play. Not so…
No Google Play icon. I came to discover Google does not offer the ability to add the Google Play market to devices which do not already have them. I tried to download and install APK files directly. They appeared to install correctly but crashed every time. Needless to say I returned those two tablets and bought two Samsung Kids Tablets instead. Top notch, quality, and of course Google Play compatible.
The moral of my story:
Do not underestimate the power Google Play.
Google Play is obviously way over saturated with developers and apps. It’s very difficult to get ‘discovered’. 700,000 apps and counting last I read.
We, as developers, are aware of other markets but when it comes down to our customer base and the general public, Google Play is where it’s at. Not even Amazon compares.
I don’t post my apps on any other market. I tried SlideMe. Too many restrictions. Too critical. Too long to approve. I posted an app to SlideMe and it took two weeks to get a denial. I fixed the “issue’ (I forgot to uplaod some image or something) and another week before it was published. I gave up…
I’ve never had a customer ask about SlideMe, Amazon, or any other market…
Only Google…
Well over 50% of these off-brand devices are returned.
Other than shear lack of quality and poor workmanship the main reason these devices are returned is the lack of Google Play. They say Android app compatible on the box. What they do not say is that they work only with proprietary markets. I did not quite understand this until now…
I learned firsthand when I bought two Kurio Kids Tablets for my kids for Christmas. They said Android tablets so I naturally assumed I could install all of their favorite apps (and mine
) from Google Play. Not so…No Google Play icon. I came to discover Google does not offer the ability to add the Google Play market to devices which do not already have them. I tried to download and install APK files directly. They appeared to install correctly but crashed every time. Needless to say I returned those two tablets and bought two Samsung Kids Tablets instead. Top notch, quality, and of course Google Play compatible.
The moral of my story:
Do not underestimate the power Google Play.
Google Play is obviously way over saturated with developers and apps. It’s very difficult to get ‘discovered’. 700,000 apps and counting last I read.
We, as developers, are aware of other markets but when it comes down to our customer base and the general public, Google Play is where it’s at. Not even Amazon compares.
I don’t post my apps on any other market. I tried SlideMe. Too many restrictions. Too critical. Too long to approve. I posted an app to SlideMe and it took two weeks to get a denial. I fixed the “issue’ (I forgot to uplaod some image or something) and another week before it was published. I gave up…
I’ve never had a customer ask about SlideMe, Amazon, or any other market…
Only Google…