China now downloads more iOS apps than the U.S., report says

It seems the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have kept China's iPhone users busy.

iOS users in China downloaded more apps than their U.S. counterparts in the first quarter of 2015, according to new data from app-analytics company App Annie. The report suggests Apple's growing popularity in China has helped widen the disparity between revenue from the App Store and Google Play, despite Android's continued global dominance

The report also underscores just how much of a game changer the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were in China, noting that smartphones with screen sizes between 5 and 7 inches accounted for nearly 60% of smartphone shipments in the country, compared with just 40% in the U.S. and the rest of the world.

"China’s surge may have been partially caused by the recent launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus," according to the report. "While both the United States and China are two of Apple’s strongest markets, demand for smartphones with larger screens seems to be particularly high ​in Asia."

AppAnnie's report also has some bad news for Android developers. While the Google Play Store still sees significantly more downloads than the the App Store — a longstanding trend given Android's dominance in the global market — the disparity between Google Play's downloads and revenues has grown even more.

IMAGE: APP ANNIE APP ANNIE

Revenue from Apple's App Store was 70% higher in the first quarter of 2015, compared with 60% in the third quarter of 2014, according to the report. Previous quarters suggested Android revenues were finally catching up to iOS, a trend that has now reversed. In short: Not only are iOS users still spending more money, they are now spending it faster than their Android-using counterparts.

The reasons aren't completely clear, but App Annie's analysts speculate that the success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in the U.S. and China helped fuel additional revenue. Google Play also doesn't exist in China, where third-party app stores such as Xiaomi dominate.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.