Quantity rarely equals quality, of course, but it's still fairly notable that the
Android Market has now managed to top 20,000 apps just a little over a year after it opened its doors -- Apple's App Store had over 50,000 apps a year into its existence, for those keeping track. Even more interesting, however, is the distribution of free and paid apps in the Market. According to
AndroLib, fully 62.2% of the apps available are completely free, compared to just 37.8% that are paid apps. That's in stark contrast to the App Store, which now has over 100,000 individual apps, of which (by some recent counts) a hefty 77% are paid applications -- although only 30% of total App Store downloads are for paid apps. What does it all mean? Well, that's open for debate. But one thing's for sure: the rest of the app store contenders are going to have to work some special pie chart magic to come out looking good in this battle.
posted December 15th 2009 2:38PM
A lot of those "apps" i reckon are skins for various actual apps.
Paid apps still not available in Ireland though...
@spottyelephant Shh.. Apple don't know this.
@spottyelephant Yeah, app count has become some sort of a joke in which all app stores now have to participate. Next step: replace the browser app with one app per URL, based on the exact same code, and start claiming you've got over a billion apps in your store.
@JeanMichel Decombe:
App count has become a joke thanks to Apple. They're always so eager to push the 100,000 apps of whatever the hell it is, but they don't present the true numbers. If only 30% of all app store downloads are for paid apps, while 70% of the apps are paid apps, this means developers are making shit off the app store.
@Jordan 1 of every 5 new app in the apple store is an ebook....
which means that android and winmo have a over million apps available (since you can buy ebooks online using ereader software from B&N).
App counts are a joke. Apple (and android and winmo) need to cull the crud out of their stores to make them useful and friendly to buyers. They should have a team choose the best 1000 apps, and only allow a new app into their store if it is demonstrated (to the team's satisfaction) that it is better then the app it will displace. Put a cap on it.
@tmarks11
Sounds like a double standard to me. You want Apple and Microsoft and Google to cull apps from their stores, but you also want a hands-off app store that has no culling process to get in.
Well which is it? You can't have it both ways. Pick one. Either you have Apple's tight control over the app store to reduce the amount of crap, or you have no control and anything and everything gets posted on the store, including the mountains of crapware that would absolutely dwarf the amount of what you consider crapware on the App Store.
And ignore what Jordan says, he's 100% Apple-hating troll. If any other app store had 100,000 apps, even it it was all crap, he would think it was the best thing ever, and suck on that Apple, etc. etc. He's a moron.
@spottyelephant
Damn! Android is generating a hell of a lot of useless fart and flashlight apps. There's no gatekeeper to the Android market so developers are churning out crappy apps and malware to upload just to increase the count. What about that developer that had 1000 apps in the App Store? He said he's headed to Android where he can put up all the crappy, useless apps he wants and he dares anyone to try and stop him. Guaranteed out of those 20,000 apps, there are probably 99% useless ones. Yup. There is a useless app for that.
@Average White Boy
There are more fart apps in the Apple store than on Android, on the apple store you also have for example 52 baseball statistics apps (for each state one) where in Android that´s packed into one app for all states.... and yes, apple counts ebooks as apps where on Android they don´t. Apple's approval system has nothing to do with duplicates (except, doubtfully, if it duplicates standard build in functionality) or overall quality.
The overall quality in the Android app store is reasonable of the 50 apps I tried I kept 45 end the nice thing is that you can try a paid app for 24 hours, if you uninstall it within that period you are automatically refunded.
@spottyelephant Well the data is getting inaccurate now, it should be 16k apps only. But who cares? As long as the apps being created are in for quality, then user won't mind about the numbers. Well except for people who likes to count 'insignificantly". Point of view about the issue: http://bit.ly/android-apps-exagerated-apps
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOMEBODY EXTRAPOLATE
@boggit Hell, I'd settle for interpolation. At least that'd connect the dots.
It means that it won't be for much longer where Apple can tout the number of apps in their store -- Android will rival it.
@nak you also have to remember that about 50% of the apps in the app store or "free", "lite" or even apps that run on identical code
@nak
Dont worry. They will find another talking point in order to wave the banner of "superiority" for a bit longer, although they are really running out of stuff at this point.
They will likely take the ironic approach and compare the quality and "usefulness" of Android applications to iPhones.
@LAY Regarding...
> Dont worry. They will find another talking point in order to wave the
> banner of "superiority" for a bit longer, although they are really
> running out of stuff at this point.
> They will likely take the ironic approach and compare the quality
> and "usefulness" of Android applications to iPhones.
Who are "they?" Is your thinking as ambiguous and unclear as your communication?
@db
"Is your thinking as ambiguous and unclear as your communication?"
lol. What a pretentious ass.
@db What in God's name are you talking about? You're trying to spin LAY's comment as paranoiac and ambiguous, for some..random reason. Let's break it down:
"nak Posted Dec 15th 2009 2:41PM
It means that it won't be for much longer where Apple can tout the number of apps in their store -- Android will rival it."
Nak's subject in his comment is Apple. Therein he bases his opinion on the subject.
"LAY Posted Dec 15th 2009 2:57PM
@nak
Dont worry. They will find another talking point in order to wave the banner of "superiority" for a bit longer, although they are really running out of stuff at this point.
They will likely take the ironic approach and compare the quality and "usefulness" of Android applications to iPhones."
Here, LAY responds to nak, and then states his opinion on nak's argument where Apple is referred to as "they", since that was nak's subject. Do you see it now? No clarification is needed; in fact, your comprehension of other people's comments should be addressed.
Additionally, instead of saying something like "You should replace "they" with Apple because it sounds a bit confusing", you took the "Act like a condescending douche" approach. Well done.
@nak
Sorry, I don't see any evidence of that. The Android store is growing at a much slower rate than the App Store is. The App store is already at 120,000 apps. How long did it take to go from 100,000 to 120,000? A month? Two? Certainly not a year. At this rate the App Store will be at 200,000 apps long before the Android store gets to 50k.
@Jack Interesting take, but growth isn't linear as you've just pointed out.
@nak
Show me evidence to support your theory then. I have plenty of evidence to support mine. The rate of apps appearing on the app store is steadily increasing, not staying stagnant. It took a year for the Android store to get to 20k, and there's no indication that it's growing at a faster rate than the App Store.
Facts, not conjecture. Go.
@Jack You may have misinterpreted my original comment. At some point, in the not unforeseeable future, the Android market will have enough apps that the argument "There's an app for that" simply won't apply, and Apple will need a new talking point. Android Market will rival the App Store (not beat or match it necessarily).
You rarely these days hear people arguing against the Mac because it doesn't have enough software -- even tho' it has only a fraction of what Windows has. Mac's have enough good software to rival Windows.
Hope this helps clarify my statement.
@nak
Well, the problem is that developers are not very enthusiastic over developing for Android (especially game developers), and that chart is the very reason. Most developers have gone on record saying that they make very little to no profit from the Android marketplace. Almost all of the high profile game developers are actually significantly reducing their support for Android almost entirely, simply because they are making no money at all.
Thats the problem with open source platforms, software is just expected to be free. And the high profile developers are not willing to just give their software away for free when they could develop on iPhone instead and make a crap ton of money.
People think that the App store has a problem with people not willing to pay more than a dollar for apps, Android has it much worse where people just aren't willing to pay for apps at all.
@Jack
Due to the number of platforms Android can run on, developers are moving from the iPhone SDK to the Android SDK. There are many, many more Android handsets in the hands of users around the world vs. Apple iPhone users. The iPhone has been out much longer than Android so this is quite a feat for Android and Google. There was an article on BoyGenius a few months back about this.
Saying this, (conjecture of course), I would put some money down on Android surpassing iPhone apps within the coming year. The iPhone system is just too locked down (Way too many restrictions and missing functionality in the SDK - and also fear of your app being denied by Apple) and limited to users within certain carriers and cellular frequencies. Android handsets span across almost all U.S. carriers and internationally, and are not limited by frequency, CDMA/GSM, or exclusivity contracts.
Though, for those with more resources they are developing for both iPhone and Android (and even Palm, Symbian, Windows Mobile, etc.)
@Accidental
No. The App store had 50k apps within the first year, Android store had 20k in the first year. Those numbers are directly comparable, ESPECIALLY since, as you said, there are more Android handsets out there.
If the Android store had hit 50k apps in the first year they would be EQUAL to Apple. Not better. at at 20k apps they're not even doing half as well as Apple did in the same period of time. Your other arguments are irrelevant because numbers don't lie. The App store is growing at a faster rate than the Android store is. If you think the Android store will have more apps by next year, you're delusional and you're intentionally ignoring the facts.
@nak
Regardless of how many apps the Android store has, Apple can always say they have over 4x more. If you're familiar with how marketing works, you know that's an effective marketing tactic. And they can still say there's an app for that, since they're not addressing Android or making comparisons with it.
Part of your reasoning, though, is based on the assumption that Apple will never change its marketing strategy. I'm pretty sure they'll change it to address whatever they need to address as time goes on.
@Jack
Delusional? You need to read the iPhone delusional study from Stand Consult currently posted on Tom's Hardware. You sound like one of those people the delusional mindset study is referring to.. holding on to whatever you can to put the iPhone on a pedestal despite obvious shortcomings.
50K apps in the first year? Keep in mind the iPhone App Store wasn't implemented until one year after the original iPhone release. Late much? Android's marketplace was released shortly after the first public release of Android, and before the first international release. Keep in mind Android 1.5 (first major international release) wasn't even released until April 30 of this year. 20,000K apps in 7 months seems quite impressive to me.
Besides, with the major ground Android broke in the 3Q and 4Q, and major commitments from carriers and manufacturers around the world for 2010, why the heck would a developer stay exclusive to the iPhone SDK? Heck, our sister company (Unbound) that develops portable medical referencing software has halted all new development iPhone all together and moved to Palm, WinMo, Android.
@Jack Actually my comment pretty much said Apple's marketing will have to change.
Anyway, I'm out of this thread, its gotten to be a little to pedantic for what was a silly little comment.
@Jack
yes but the difference is apples app marketplace was pretty much competitorless, it was a new market. if you wanted a phone with apps, thats where you went, if you wanted to develop apps for a phone, iphone was your only option. Today, the android marketplace is competing with other successful app stores like apples, and is gaining ground.
@Accidental
Accidental meet Jack...
An individual who epitomizes all that is outlined in that Tom's Hardware article:
"one of those people the delusional mindset study is referring to.. holding on to whatever you can to put the iPhone on a pedestal despite obvious shortcomings."
@Accidental
You must be some kind of idiot. Do you even read what you write?
"50K apps in the first year? Keep in mind the iPhone App Store wasn't implemented until one year after the original iPhone release. Late much?"
Late? That's your argument? Backpedal some more, why don't you. The fact remains that in the first year of its existence, the App Store had 50k apps. In the first year of the Android store's existence, they only had 20k apps. Those two numbers are directly comparable. You even said there were more Android handsets out there. So what's your excuse?
"20,000K apps in 7 months seems quite impressive to me. "
20,000K is actually 20 million. Just saying. And if you think 20k apps in 7 months is impressive, how about 50k apps in 12 months? That's more apps in less time. That should be knocking your socks all the way off.
20k apps in 7 months is 2,857 apps per month.
50k apps in 12 months is 4,167 apps per month, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that the rate of apps appearing in the App Store is actually increasing.
I really don't know why you're using figures that clearly show that Android development is a lot slower than iPhone development in order to make some point about how Android is better.
"why the heck would a developer stay exclusive to the iPhone SDK?"
Because it's a proven marketplace with consistent hardware and a centralized storefront which makes it easier all the way around? Have you forgotten just how popular iPhones are? 50% of all mobile internet traffic - ALL OF IT - comes from ONE PHONE. Want to guess which phone that is?
And by the way, a developer doesn't have to stay exclusive to the iPhone, they can develop for multiple platforms. While some developers like your single example (LOL) will forego iPhone development for other platforms, most of them won't. For the reasons I listed above.
@DaHarder
This from somebody who is a consistent Apple-hating troll here?
Yeah, please don't address any of the points I'm making, just attack me instead. That'll show me.
@Jack You forget that quality is greater than quantity. At this point there is a surplus of not so valuable or good apps in the Apple app store. Merely by the fact of young or inspiring developers who obtain a easily accessible SDK, without any strong background or experience in user compensation or development (Users are slow sometimes..), though are rather hoping to make a quick buck, while the app development society is hot. I rather take a few really well design apps, than 50 bad versions of one app.
@Jack
Yeah ... you're not familiar with maths are you ?
It's not a linear growth. The more mature the system is and the more apps it gets the more developers are interested in it, the more apps it gets, etc...
It's a virtuous circle. Grows exponentially
But more importantly it cannot be infinite, and at some point it won't be relevant at all (the number of apps)..
Have you ever heard Microsoft explain to you how Windows is awesome because it has 45 millions apps when OS X has only 5 millions ? NO because NO ONE CARES !
I franckly on a smartphone I highly doubt there are more than 100 000 useful apps
Yes yes, we GET it.
Apple is the best, can do no wrong, and your first born child will have a lowercase 'i' at beginning of his name.
Now will you PLEASE just go away?
Er... yeah.
If a phone has had a year to gain footing in a market, THEN releases an App store, it means that they already have a developed userbase of both developers and consumers, who've had a chance to play with both the year-old hardware, and the months-old SDK.
It's like you've given a car a ten-minute head star in a race, and then critisised the others for not being able to regain those ten minutes in five.
@Jack
I've made my point on here. My last response is this:
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/03/26/iphone-app-store-30000-apps-but-slowing/
Notice in the first 7 months of the Apple store release, there were only about 15,000 apps. Since you so nicely did the math for me I'll return the favor: That's 2,142 apps in the first 7 months. Of course, the article's point was to say the store was slowing, which wasn't the case (due to 3Gs release). Android will rocket out like the app store as well due to MAJOR PR from Google and supporting hardware suppliers and cellular carriers.
Also, as many people have commented on here, it's all about quality over quantity (Is Windows sooo much better because it has 15 times more applications than Mac OS?) What point here are you trying to make? Are you trying to defend Apple or the iPhone? Are you trying to simply state there are more iPhone apps and therefore the iPhone is better? My point is just this: Android has just hit maturity (2.0) and is a major player in the marketplace. iPhone fans are starting to become agitated (jealous/delusional maybe?) that there's another player in the game and better hardware is in the market.
I apologize for the "20,000K" grammatical error - usually one who has little to grab at in a debate points out an irrelevant item such a simple grammar mistake.
Apps in the first year are not an even comparison. The iPhone was out for over a year before the 2.0 update, which enabled apps. So they built a large market for the iPhone, sold then like crazy, just based on Apple's existing iPod momentum.
Android started cold, about a year ago. And it was not pushed by any company with the market presence of Apple, not for quite some time.. the current DROID campaign from Verizon may be the first real push on the level of what Apple's done.
So really, given the fact they've hit 20,000 apps, already, that's actually more impressive than what Apple managed in the first year. More important, in the long run, is the fact that there are so many more people working on Android (350 people, just at Motorola), nearly every phone vendor making Android phones (everyone buy Apple, RIM, and Palm... Nokia isn't yet doing a phone, but they have shown off a tablet). Keep in mind, Apple "won" the top slot slot in smart phones in the USA (they're only 17% world-wide) in about two years. That, with about 56 million "iPhone OS" devices sold (Apple's recent announcement), 40% of those iPods Touch.
There are over one billion cell phones sold every year. When Android phones are "free", and they will be, the iPhone will drop to a nice, comfortable niche. Very much like Apple vs. Windows is today, and for all the same reasons... proprietary systems never dominate, in the long run.
in comparison to apple app store this if better faster growing free and well...better I'd say.
The one thing I love about the Android market is its speed. A bunch of us Droid owners were wishing for a flash light app that used the camera's flash on a forum. Within two weeks, a member of that forum created one and submitted it to the market place. He has since released 4-5 updates with more functionality.... All for free.
Try that on Apple's marketplace :D
Tee hee...marketplace.
@Roroco
Yeah, I think the biggest reason there are more free apps is that no one has to pay a $100 a year developer fee like they do for apple, so there's less need to make money to recover costs. And then not being required to own a mac to develop for it helps too, since there are so many more windows users. If only AT&T would get a damn android phone already... I'm stuck with EDGE on an unlocked G1. And before people say I should switch... work pays for my phone so it would cost me a LOT to switch!
-taylor
@Roroco
Totally agree. One of the good things about Android is that the bulk of the people who develop for it are also open-source oriented people, folks in the community who just want to develop for fun and make things better for everyone. Can't do that (that well) when you have money and a monopoly in the mix.
but how many of them fart?
@onemadrssn
not enough, my friend, never enough...
@onemadrssn
No gFart yet? :-P
Just cause an App is free doesnt mean its Useful, Functional, and Practical.
You can say the same for every application store. Furthermore, just because an App costs money, doesn't mean it's useful, functional, or practical.
@Jaylittles531
lol, what a dumb argument to make.
Just because an app costs money doesn't mean it's any of those things, either!
Here's the real take-away: Just a few months ago, the lack of apps in the Android marketplace was a real deterrent for people in the market for a new smartphone. This is no longer the case.
My bet is that unless Apple introduces free on-contract phones that don't require a data plan, Android WILL outsell Mobile Safari within 24 months. That's just my prediction though.
Well they are making a big deal that 60% of them are free and I guarantee 60% of that 60% serves no purpose. 30% of the paid Apps probably serve no purpose ether but when people pay for Apps it usually give the Developer more reason to better the App.
@crawdad689
Agreed, a little while ago I wasn't even considering Android, but the lack of apps on Palm's WebOS deterred me (and god was I bored of the iPhone). When I found out how many Android apps there were, and how many were free, I really reconsidered.
Personally though, as much as I love my Hero and Android, I really hope Palm's app catalogue grows and WebOS takes off, but they really have some way to go to catch up.
@Jaylittles531 Dude, you're an idiot. Blindly defending Apple for no apparent reason. You have contradicted yourself for the second time. Time to hush now.