Google Play provides over three times as many downloads as the iOS App Store in Russia, though in 2018, the U.S., Russia, and Turkey all experienced significant growth of iOS downloads, according to Newzoo’s 2017 Global Mobile Market Report— as noted by Forbes.
While the market continues to be dominated by Android devices, the local Russian app store Yandex.Store is the country’s largest alternative to the Google Play and Apple App Store. It comes pre-installed on most Russian smartphones.
Social networks and gaming apps have been the largest drivers of app market growth in Russia. The country was top-ranked for the number of game downloads in Europe, with more than 1.6 billion downloads in 2016 alone, and Russia is considered the 11th largest gaming marketplaces in the world. In 2015, games accounted for over 50% of all app downloads in Russia and generated around 75% of combined iOS and Google Play revenue.
