Three out of four smartphones shipped last quarter were running Google’s Android operating system, while just 15% ran
Apple’s iOS, and yet Google has a problem: those 15% of smartphone buyers who chose Apple are likely to buy more, download more and engage more with their smartphones than all the Android users put together. And since Google earns most of its revenue from advertising, user engagement is key. So the software giant is reaching out directly to Apple loyalists.
Google’s YouTube Capture app is the most recent example of this strategy. The app for capturing, editing and sharing video does not work yet on Android, but Google released it Monday for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apparently motivated by the runaway success of Instagram, YouTube Capture allows users to upload their fresh video to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ all at once. If it catches on it could drive mobile traffic to the iTunes website rather than to the Google Play site, but the key for Google is that it should also increase traffic to YouTube, where Google can serve ads.
Google Maps for iOS 6 could also drive more ad sales for the search engine giant. With 10 million downloads in its first 48 hours on the market, Google Maps was clearly just what millions of iPhone owners wanted this holiday season. The app was a gift for Apple as well; downloads of its new iOS 6 operating system have increased 29% during the last week as Apple loyalists learned that they could upgrade without losing access to Google’s go-to app. And when they use that app to find a business, Google has the opportunity to sell that business an ad.
While Android is clearly demonstrating its dominance over iOS and all other mobile operating systems, the most affluent smartphone buyers are still more likely to choose an Apple product. That’s why Google, which sold more ads this year than all print media combined, is focused on apps that will help it get ads in front of Apple’s customers.
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