Instapaper for Android sees a 600% jump in downloads on release of Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 is being talked about, that's one thing we know for sure. It's gotten a ton of press as a device that is so good it makes the case for small tablets in general. It's certainly one of the most well received non-iPad tablets ever.
Context & Ripple Effects
Instapaper entered Android in June with a first Android release whose sharing integration was promising but whose overall experience had clear shortcomings. The Nexus 7’s strong retail demand by July gave that new app a concentrated tablet audience rather than Android’s broader phone-led base.
The download spike ties Instapaper’s Android traction to a device launch that had already generated positive attention for Android tablets, making tablet-specific app quality more commercially consequential.
First-order effects
- Instapaper gains a sharp increase in Android installs, expanding the immediate audience for its read-later service on the Nexus 7.
- Instapaper’s Android product team faces stronger pressure to address the shortcomings identified at launch as a larger tablet audience reaches the app.
Second-order effects
- Other read-later and reading-app developers must treat the Nexus 7 as a meaningful Android tablet distribution channel rather than optimize chiefly for phones.
- Google benefits when a fast-selling Nexus tablet drives use of third-party apps, strengthening the device’s appeal beyond hardware specifications.
Third-order effects
- If individual Android tablet launches repeatedly lift app usage, developer investment is likely to shift toward tablet-tailored Android experiences rather than treating Android as a single, phone-first market.
- The Nexus 7 suggests that Android tablet competitiveness will depend partly on whether popular services close feature and polish gaps exposed by their early Android releases.
The trend: A well-received, lower-cost Android tablet is beginning to turn Android’s device scale into measurable demand for tablet-oriented apps.