06.01.14
Once upon a time there was only one mobile eco-system worth developing apps for: iOS. Why? Because that was where the money was. It was generally accepted that the only place that people would pay for apps was the Apple App Store.
Not any more. A recent article in the Financial Times (free subscription required) suggests that, whilst the revenue generated from the top 200 apps on the Apple App store has risen from $15 million per month to $18 million, the Google Play store has seen an astonishing growth from $3.5 million to $12 million. And this does not include regions where the Google Play store is unavailable and where third party app stores might bolster this number even more. Read the rest of this entry »
29.11.13
We can officially start getting excited about Christmas! Well we can from this Saturday, 30th November, when our annual Advent 2013, 25 Christmas Apps app launches. This year’s iOS and Android app is even bigger and better. Users still get to discover and download a new, free, top quality app everyday until 25th December but this time we’ve cranked up the production values and fun quota on the mini games.
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28.11.13
Christmas is a busy time for MagicSolver, not least because we are readying our Advent 2013 calendar app. While we are poised to launch our festive app next week, around the same time shoppers in the U.S will be gearing up for the post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza known as ‘Black Friday’. For those unaware of this special day, it is where retail outlets slash the prices on their goods and wares and American citizens go crazy trying to pick up amazing bargains to put under the Christmas tree.
Shopping via mobile is already on the rise but this year the smartphone will play a big role in the way people buy gifts for Xmas, according to a survey conducted by technology protection specialist Asurion. 58% of smartphone owners said their device will be very important to them on ‘Black Friday’, with 49% claiming they will make purchases via the device.
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28.10.13
For app developers choosing the right pricing/revenue model is a key factor in the success of their app. We have rigourously debated the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different models – paid for free with ad support and freemium – in previous blogs but the newest debate centres on the end of paid for apps.
Tech Crunch’s insightful article on this subject shows this isn’t a clear cut argument as you may expect. The stats from Flurry research shows the move toward free is getting larger: from 2010 to 2012 the proportion of free apps on the Apple App Store grew from 80% to 84%. In 2013 this had reached 90%. The interesting discovery from this research was that app developers shifted towards the free pricing model not through peer pressure but by experimenting with different streams to find the model that suited their app.
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30.09.13
This week The Independent newspaper in the UK published a list of its top travel apps. You can see the top 10 here.
Far be it for us to disagree with such a learned publication, but we honestly felt there were so many good travel apps that it would be worth adding five more to their list that tickle our fancy and help us when we are out and about. So below you can find our additional five travel apps for those that are hungry for the best and easiest experiences on the move.
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22.08.13
MagicSolver, the app discovery and user acquisition specialists, have been named one of Mobile Entertainment’s Top 50 Mobile Innovators in the UK for 2013.
The ME Top 50 has been going for three years and recognises excellence within a number of mobile specific sectors. MagicSolver has been recognised for its continued success in the Apps sphere after it amassed more than 30 million downloads for its portfolio of mobile app discovery platforms.
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19.07.13
With the arrival of Britain’s newest Prince or Princess imminent, we take a look at the Best of British Royal Baby apps!
1) Baby Royals by Angelsong Creations
While the Prince or Princess of Cambridge will most certainly be getting the royal treatment, Angelson Creations have designed an app that allows you to do the same for your little one*! Simply snap a photo of the wannabe future Queen or King and click to add regal jewels, clothes and headwear. With razor sharp graphics and everything from traditional crowns and tiaras to Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh outfits to choose from, this fantastic photobooth is a royal winner!
*Don’t have a baby to beautify? Why not crown your dog, cat or friend? It’s hilarious!
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16.07.13
A week after we celebrated the 4th birthday of MagicSolver in our offices, Apple were celebrating the 5th birthday of the App Store and a load of developers decided to join the party by making their apps free for the celebration.
So with our team obviously loving fantastic free apps, we felt obliged to share the best of the bunch with all of the people who use FreeAppMagic on iOS. And, according to our download numbers, the three apps below came out as the most popular. Check them out!
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10.07.13
When two Cambridge University students created MagicSolver on the 9th of July 2009, we never imagined we would last that or that we would get as much success and recognition from our fans across the world.
So we’re proud to celebrate our 4th anniversary in charge of a company creating the best apps for iPhone, iPad and Android for our 30 million users in over 120 countries.
The tens of thousands of positive emails, reviews and feedback from our users has been our best reward, helping our team of 20 talented app Magicians feel proud to be selecting the best apps every day for you in both http://www.freeappmagic.com/ and for our renowned seasonal calendars.
We’re also glad to have worked with a number of fantastic partners, from the best indie developers looking to get their apps discovered through to the top gaming companies and the best digital advertising agencies.
So thanks again to our 30 million users, the 600 talented apps developers we have selected apps from and all the Magicians on our team who have helped to make this all possible.
Emmanuel Carraud & Oliver Lamming
05.07.13
Anyone for tennis? With Wimbledon swinging to its conclusion this Sunday, you’re probably in the mood to get a racket out and go rally down the local courts. But, if you don’t want to miss all the great matches, then you may want to settle down with these three tennis apps that we’ve featured in Free App Magic over the past year to get into a virtual sweat with.
Stick Tennis
First up, we’re serving you a game from the makers of legendary Flash powered time waster Stick Cricket. Stick Tennis is a cartoony take on tennis, getting you scampering around a cel shaded court and timing shots perfectly to bamboozle your opponents.
Where Stick Tennis excels is in how simple it is. Every shot is powered by a swipe on the screen meaning that you can backhand, forehand and lob the ball in absolute ease. It makes the game really simple to pick up, meaning you’ll be playing with the grace of Roger Federer about ten minutes into the game.
Packed with real players, a variety of courts and tons of replayability, Stick Tennis is perfect for those of you wanting to get a match going with minimum hassle.
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