app_store_icon_170According to a new report from research firm Canalys, Android tablets have only a portion of the quality apps that are available on Apple's iPad.

30 of the top 100 paid and free apps in Apple's iPad App Store during the first half of 2013 were unavailable in the Google Play store. An additional 18 apps could be downloaded, but were not optimized for tablet users.

Only 52 of the 100 top App Store apps were available on Google Play and optimized for tablets. Six of those apps were originally paid apps in the App Store, but available in an ad-supported capacity on Google Play, which Canalys points out often provides an inferior experience.

"Quite simply, building high-quality app experiences for Android tablets has not been among many developers' top priorities to date," said Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Shepherd. "That there are over 375,000 apps in the Apple App Store that are designed with iPad users in mind, versus just a fraction of this – in the low tens of thousands – available through Google Play, underscores this point ."

Earlier this month, Canalys reported that non-iOS tablets surpassed the iPad in global market share for the first time, with Apple taking just a 42.7% share of worldwide tablet shipments. Tablets from Samsung, Amazon, Lenovo, Acer, and others combined to capture 57.3% of tablet shipments.

Google Play downloads also reportedly surpassed App Store downloads during the second quarter of 2013, but despite greater Android tablet and smartphone shipments and a higher number of app downloads, Apple's App Store still brings in over twice the amount of revenue.

Canalys obtained its data on the App Store and the Google Play store by aggregating daily app rankings during the first half of 2013. Canalys has provided a detailed list [PDF]
of the top free and paid App Store apps that were available or unavailable for the Google Play store.

Top Rated Comments

ghost187 Avatar
156 months ago
Oh yeah !?

What apps ?

I just got a Nexus 7 and it beats the hell out of iPad

HOW? With it's GPS and Multitouch issues, or by flapping its monster bezel?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Doctor Q Avatar
156 months ago
Strange methodology

How many of the top Google Play apps are available for the iPad? Without answering that question the reported results could simply show that the marketplaces have different sets of apps, as opposed to one being a subset of the other.

It wouldn't surprise me to see proof that iPad apps are higher quality, but rather than show it this analysis begs the question by defining a high quality app as one available for iPad.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jav6454 Avatar
156 months ago
I don't want to sound like a overzealous Apple lover, but....

Apple holding it's own against 5 other companies world wide is an impressive feat. Regardless if Apple's marketshare is just 42%. Rather impressive.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Karma*Police Avatar
156 months ago
I'd say that even the Android phone apps aren't on par with their iOS counterparts. Flixster comes to mind cos I just used it on my HTC and iPhone this weekend and the difference in design and polish was immediately obvious.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yousifabdullah Avatar
156 months ago
Proud to be an iPad user. :)

EDIT: I should clarify, I have used my iPad exclusively since late 2012. Bought the 4th gen when it came out and sold my rMBP the same week. I work in retail and as a librarian, need Office apps and I draw and make music in my free-time. I've found the iPad to be perfect for me. The app experience is the best I've ever had and I've tried out the Nexuses, Surfaces, etc. Can't wait for the 5th gen to drop, will buy a 128GB Cellular instantly! :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Technarchy Avatar
156 months ago
This is exactly what I was thinking. Unless they go the other way, this report means very little. Not to say the results would or wouldn't come to the same conclusion, but the methodology of judgement is completely flawed.

Note that I've been using Samsung Galaxies for about two years after switching from my iPhone 4S, and I also use an iPad. So I continuously use apps on both platforms. And I can say unequivically that in geberal the totality of the apps are pretty comparible. There are certainly a lot of apps that iOS does better or don't exist on Android and mny that ASndroid does better or don't exist on iOS. The top aps are pretty comparable. Android is weak on anything that uses no-latency audio and iOS is weak on anything that needs access to file systems and a lot of menu options. Generally iOS apps look visually better while Android apps have more flexibility.

The difference being that android users care more about what they are missing on iOS.

All my favorite android apps are on iOS. I do mean all.

But several of my favorite iOS apps are totally missing from android.

This doesn't even factor in apps that cater to specific industries like medical and education that don't have a prayer of ending up on Android.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Apple Hornsby

Apple Store Near Sydney Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday July 14, 2025 6:14 pm PDT by
Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October. Apple Hornsby In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby...