Most of the users of new smartphones running on iOS and Android platforms ignored the preinstallation of domestic software: they either did not notice or did not remember well the methods of choosing preinstalled applications that are offered on Apple and Samsung. This is stated in a study by Telecom Daily.
The law on mandatory pre-installation of Russian programs on smartphones and other high-tech devices imported into the country came into force in April. It assumes three installation options: a “selection window” with a list of applications (it appears when the gadget is first turned on), icons for downloading on the screen and installation of applications into the device's memory. To find out how the law influenced the popularity of Russian applications, experts interviewed 1,850 buyers of new Apple and Samsung smartphones and studied data on the number of downloads of applications on iOS through the AppAnnie statistics collection service.
Apple offers a “selection window”, Samsung collects icons with applications in the “Law” folder, which is always available on the screen. Unlike users of smartphones on iOS, owners of gadgets on Android can download the desired application from this folder at any time.
The survey showed that 45% of users did not notice the “selection box” on iOS. Only 16% were ready to install new applications upon phone activation. Most Apple owners only want to set up language and country when first turned on (94%) and basic features like Face ID (79%). 64% of Samsung users did not know about the “Law” folder, the authors of the study believe that this could be due to the fact that it is not on the first screen of the device.
According to the AppAnnie service, there was no growth in downloads for iOS applications with a large audience (from 4 thousand downloads per day) after the entry into force of the law. For apps with small audiences, growth averaged 108 downloads per day.
The experts did not analyze the traffic on Android, since each smartphone manufacturer implements one of the valid formats differently. Some people download software from the list to the device memory, which makes it impossible to track how the number of downloads has changed.
The list of applications recommended for pre-installation was determined by the Ministry of Digital Science in December 2020. The list was approved by a government decree. Most of them are Mail.ru and Yandex services, Odnoklassniki and VKontakte are offered from social networks, there are also Kaspersky Lab programs and the Mir payment system. As the Telecom Daily poll showed, the most in demand were Gosuslugi and Yandex.Maps. Among the most useless, respondents named ICQ and OK Live (an application for video broadcasts from Odnoklassniki).
