iOS Still Steamrolling Android in Tablet App Race

Apple's App Store still has a leg up on Android when it comes to tablet apps, according to new data from Canalys.

Of the top 50 paid and free iPad apps available from Apple, about 30 percent were not available on Android. Another 18 percent were in Google Play, but not optimized for tablets, Canalys found, based on aggregated daily rankings in the first half of 2013.

Just over half were available in both the App Store and Google Play.

"Quite simply, building high-quality app experiences for Android tablets has not been among many developers' top priorities to date," Canalys senior analyst Tim Shepherd said in a statement. "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."

Given that the iPad still dominates the tablet market, the data shouldn't be completely shocking. But as Android tablets gain in popularity - from the new, high-res Nexus 7 to Samsung's lineup - Canalys said it expects to see a shift in the market.

But "Google needs to do more to encourage greater numbers of developers to invest in delivering high-quality Android tablet apps quickly, else it risks disappointing consumers with weak app experiences in the short term," Canalys concluded.

A number of Android tablet apps are free and ad-supported, while their iOS counterparts require some payment. While this might seem like Android users get the better end of the deal, Canalys said that ad-supported apps usually offer a poorer and more limited user experience, "subjecting users to unskippable videos or other unpopular intrusions," said Canalys analyst Daniel Matte.

Google needs to make a push to secure users' credit card numbers and billing details. "Improved consumer willingness to spend will increase developers' monetization potential and options, and help to reduce their reliance on in-app ads, leading over time to an increase in app quality," said Matte.

Ultimately, that will make Google Play more attractive to tablet developers, Canalys suggested, as it competes with the App Store - which recently topped $10 billion in developer payouts.

During the recent Nexus 7 press event, Google said that the Google Play store will now be easier to navigate on tablets. Users have the option to only see apps designed for tablets, while Google will showcase apps for tablets in new "Tablet 101" and "Tablet Spotlight" sections.

For more, check out PCMag's roundup of The 12 Best Android Tablet Apps and 100 Best iPad Apps.