14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung’s Galaxy S8 series has managed to achieve a new major milestone, as thanks to strong performance of the new models, the South Korean firm overtook Apple in terms of games monetization.
In other words, buyers of Samsung’s most recent flagships spend more money on games than those using an iPhone, even though Apple has long been considered the clear leader in this particular industry.
Data provided by DeltaDNA indicates that the top model when it comes to the average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU) is currently the Samsung Galaxy S8+ with $0.54, followed by the iPhone 7 Plus with $0.36. The Google Pixel XL is pretty close behind with $0.32.
There’s a pattern here, as the phones leading the charts come with bigger screens, and it makes sense for gamers spending the most on content from the app stores to be particularly interested in such devices. But neither the iPhone 7 nor the Galaxy S8 are far behind.
Samsung’s smaller S8 has an ARPAU of $0.21, which matches the one of the Google Pixel, while Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone is currently at $0.36.
Google Pixel very close to the iPhone
Samsung’s models also lead in terms of daily conversion, with the S8+ currently at 3.3 percent, followed by the smaller brother with 2.4 percent. The bigger iPhone 7 Plus is at 2.60 percent.
DeltaDNA explains that in most of the cases, the latest smartphones typically benefit from better monetization than older devices, mostly because new buyers are looking for games to make the most of their brand new phones. The Galaxy S8 lineup is thus fully benefiting from this boost, though it’s worth mentioning that this is the very first time an Android phone has managed to overtake the iPhone.
“The fact that iOS games monetize better that those on Android is well known, but what’s interesting is how the screen size and performance of the device contribute massively to strong monetization,” said Mark Robinson, CEO of DeltaDNA, was quoted as saying. “It may have taken 10 years for anyone to make a smartphone that can challenge the iPhone for games. Our study shows that gamers certainly feel that the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices aren’t far off.”
Apple has no reason to be pleased with these numbers, especially because not only that the Samsung Galaxy S8 managed to overtake its flagship product, but also because the Google Pixel is super-close behind, so it’ll be interesting to see how the upcoming iPhone 8 monetizes content in the App Store when it launches later this year.
