As mobile hardware gets more and more powerful, it makes sense that software is pushed ahead further, too. Games get more visually impressive and more enemies are crammed on-screen at the same time. The only “problem” per say is when you get into cellular mobile devices which have to deal with app sizes and download limits over 3G/4G.
For several years now the download limit (at least on iOS) has been 20 MB. When you think about the multitude of apps available on the App Store that exceed 20 MB (even by a little) and apps that aren’t games, it’s really pretty laughable. 20 MB is nothing. LTE has helped matters a bit as the iOS limit has risen from 20 MB to 50 MB.
Unsurprisingly, app sizes are rising with increased download limits (and Retina graphics, too). A new study by ABI research shows that the average iOS app has grown 16% since March to 23 MB while the typical iOS game has grown by over 40% to ~60 MB now. Retina graphics are also singled out as a part of the reason why our apps are getting bigger (no surprise there).
Bigger apps means more local storage. And as Inside Mobile Apps notes, as average app sizes grow, the user will ultimately suffer, having to be more choosey with what stays and what goes. While the “cloud” is already a viable replacement for document storage, games are an entirely different beast.
Source: ABI Research | Via: Inside Mobile Apps
