Android Market gets 9,000 new apps in March, world domination can't be far behind

Wanna know what exponential growth looks like? Try following Android's progress over the past few months and you'll be treated to plenty of rapidly ascending charts. This latest one from AndroLib is no different, illustrating as it does the ever-increasing influx of new games and applications for Google's mobile platform. Developers must clearly believe Android's growing market share is only going to keep expanding, as last month saw their most productive output yet, with a sweet 9,308 new additions to the Market. Naturally, the same proviso applies as with Apple's inflated App Store numbers -- quantity does not guarantee quality -- but what we're witnessing is surely the solidification of Android as a legitimate and fully fledged member of the smartphone OS upper echelon. And that can only be a good thing.

[Motlee Posted Apr 8th 2010 7:47AM]

If I am looking at the chart correctly, it would appear that April is on track to do almost as well. 2200 in the first week?!!!

[yauchildchew Posted Apr 8th 2010 7:54AM]

wats the top 10 app?

[Plazmic Flame Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:27AM]

@yauchildchew

Top 10 Free (No Particular Order):

StarTranslate - Translator and dictionary. - Voice translation - Translate text - Translate SMS - Copy/Paste to any application - History - Swap translations - Get word definition in dictionary Many languages supported including : arabic, hebrew, thai, hindi, ... Based on Google translate service

FBabble - FBabble lets you stay in touch with your friends on Facebook wherever you go! Features include real-time chat, uploading photos, changing current status and even automatic tweets to your Twitter account.

Note Everything - A notepad application where you can create different types of notes in one app, including text-, paint-, voice-, checklist- & photo notes. Your notes can be organized in folders. You can create shortcuts on home, send notes, search, encrypt, reminders, use live folders & much more! All in the look & feel of Android UI.

Robo Defense FREE - Robo Defense is the ultimate portable tower defense experience. Featuring open maps, upgrades, achievements and nice graphics.

10001 Cocktails - 10001 Cocktails puts the bartender in your pocket! Browse and search our most popular recipes on your phone by drink type or search thousands of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink recipes on the shot-cocktail-recipe.com web site! Add fresh drink ideas and drink reviews and save your favorite drinks to your personal list.

Translator - Translates words, phrases, sentences and whole paragraphs of text between different languages using Googles language translation service. It can even detect your source language and flip between source and translation phrase.

Stopwatch - Stopwatch is a very simple and useful stopwatch timer application. Stopwatch also captures and records lap times. Stopwatch will not lose track of the elapsed time, even when the phone is powered off.

Weather - This fast, simple, easy to use, and small weather application pulls from the Google Weather API. This provides functionality current and future forecasts for multiple locations, auto-update settings, and ability to view the temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Pocket Auctions for eBay - Pocket Auctions for eBay is the award-winning eBay mobile application made even better for Android!, - My eBay - Search active & completed items, - Full screen pictures, - Android-style notifications, - Scan barcodes on eBay, - Chat with fellow eBay'ers

Vegas Pool Sharks Lite - Vegas Pool Sharks is a 3D pool game played against four predatory casino hustlers with increasing skill levels. Four game types: Straight, 8 Ball, 9 Ball, and Practice. Lite version plays up to 3 points.

[SCXFAN Posted Apr 8th 2010 7:58AM]

I hear one of the most popular apps for Android are "task managers".

LOL

[vman81 Posted Apr 8th 2010 7:59AM]

@SCXFAN

:puzzlement: ?

[SCXFAN Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:06AM]

@vman81 I can see why a geek would like to micro-manage their phone.

I do, believe me.

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:40AM]

@SCXFAN Unfortunately Task Managers cause more problems then anything else. Android has a very robust memory management system and auto-killing task managers really screw up the works. Best thing to get is a program like, AutoKiller. It allows you to set the memory management up to be a little more aggressive but still let the OS do the work.

[roflcopter Posted Apr 8th 2010 11:29AM]

@SCXFAN

I wouldn't normally do this but since you are making fun of stupid shit, I'll bite.

iPhone for stupid 'iTunes' customers that need to be spoon fed because they are idiots.

Android for smart geeks that like to be in control.

[TMOKOTOR Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:02AM]

If 90% is pure crap as in the App Store, I don't think it's a good thing with too many apps.

[pankomputerek Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:06AM]

I need to port Android to my phone!

[h4ppidais Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:09AM]

how is the quality of android apps compare to that of iphone apps?

[vqro Posted Apr 9th 2010 4:34PM]

@h4ppidais Android apps are crappy in comparison.

[lorinbute Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:13AM]

This is good news but i can't believe you guys took this long to post it. It's been on other sites for days now. This should have been posted earlier. I don't wanna sound like a conspiracy theorist but it does seem you guys don't post materials regarding other stories when a major apple event is near. If i'm mistaking i take that back. Its just seems like this is what you are doing.

[JT2319 Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:26AM]

As android grows so does the apple app store

[facethefire Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:42AM]

This pathetic excuse for a mobile os is going to end up fragmented like Linux is.iPhone OS4 will hopefully vanquish this vile android...I'm not a fan boy or anything it's just that android OS simply sucks .It has an ugly UI nexus one has a ton of problems like touchscreen issues and blah blah nexus one simply sucks ..

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:52AM]

@facethefire You do know there are other Android phones, right? RIGHT? Units that run Sense UI, Motoblur and even the stock Android UI. Yes with Android you have CHOICE not like an iPhone that looks EXACTLY like every other iPhone out there. Gee imagine that a device that the consumer can customize to his or her liking. What a freakin' concept!

[SCXFAN Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:57AM]

@Darkseider Are the phone manufacturers saying that the Android UI blows as some come out with alternate UI's?

[SCXFAN Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:01AM]

@Darkseider

Uh, there is only one iPhone (okay two, iPhone 3G and 3GS). No one else makes the iPhone.

I think people just like to use their phone, its not a full blown computer where maybe people get off on such a thing.

iPhone sales are very impressive since there is basically just 2 models and one carrier.

Apple has given Android a nice handicap. That obviously needs to end. No more free lunch.

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:44AM]

@SCXFAN No not at all. They are just modifying, which they are ALLOWED to to their liking and to what serves their customer demographic the best. Sense UI, originally on Windows Mobile is now on some HTC Android handsets. Motoblur which is really a social networking MONSTER HUB can be found on some Motorola Android devices. Then of course there is the stock UI which can be tweaked away with themes and widgets, etc... In any case to each his own which is the point. The apps still run but the desktop, UI and to some extent the features that a custom UI provide are unique.

[feeble11 Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:42AM]

I have a Droid on Verizon and am very happy with it.

However, IF Verizon gets the iPhone, I think Android's marketshare will reverse a bit. Its in Apple's best interest to do so before Android gets too entrenched.

[Alz Posted Apr 8th 2010 8:54AM]

Sadly, a huge number of apps are complete crap or just spam

[nanascho Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:11AM]

Um...9,000 apps in March. OK...but this is April. What of the sudden and steep decent down to 2162 in April? Have I gone mad or has no one made mention of this? Engadget? What am I missing here?

[XChrisX Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:18AM]

@nanascho Does the fact that we're really only 8 days into the month have anything to do with it?

[JFH Posted Apr 8th 2010 11:18AM]

@XChrisX

LOL

[derek533 Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:49AM]

"Fragmentation" is just a word that gets thrown around a lot here on Engadget and other blog sites because it creates buzz about the potential demise of Android. Obviously, judging by the number of new Android users that is growing exponentially every month, this isn't the case. The apps are getting better and better too.

I recently dumped my iPhone in favor of the Droid and have zero regrets. I wonder how many more people there are that are like me and realized that while the iPhone was cool and all, it's starting to get a little long in the tooth and grew quite boring after 2+ years. No app was going to cure my boredom either.

[Realityism Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:11AM]

@derek533 And it's not really anymore "fragmented" than the Windows PC market, which last I checked is not in danger of extinction. Because the difference in Android phones is pretty much limited to 1) hardware, and 2) UI tweaks and utilities. At the core, it's still the same operating system with the same kernal, subsystems, libraries, etc.

Everyone keeps trying to conflate it with Linux fragmentation, a la Ubuntu vs. Gentoo vs. SUSE vs. whatever. But it's much closer to Ubuntu Desktop vs. Xubuntu vs. Kubuntu vs. Ubuntu Netbook Remix. All of the same software is compatible; only some of the UI changes.

Like Windows and Linux PCs, Android phones differ mainly in hardware, which means that yes, some people will have to have Android phones which meet "system requirements" for certain apps. But that doesn't seem to be harming the PC market.

[roflcopter Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:18PM]

@Realityism

True. Glad to see some people haven't been affected by the Jobs reality distortion field.

[liquidmonkey Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:55AM]

another win for ANDROID, well done!

lets aim for quality apps people which of course includes anything with boobs :)


yeah thats right, android won't be censoring their apps....NICE!

[liuping Posted Apr 8th 2010 11:13AM]

@liquidmonkey Impressive, yes, but I'd hardly call it a WIN. The App store gets more than that every month.

To be a WIN, it needs to get more apps in a month and the App store does.

[liquidmonkey Posted Apr 8th 2010 11:31AM]

@liuping

considering the age of android, it sure is a win.
this means android is here to stay and someone can finally compete with smapple.
apple did a great thing giving the world 'apps' but as with all good ideas, they don't stay in one place for long.

and i don't think its about the number of apps per month. its more about the QUALITY of the apps and what we can do with them.

[liquidmonkey Posted Apr 8th 2010 9:56AM]

oh, and how about letting us search the apps from a desktop computer thank you very much!

do that and its multiple win time!!

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:18AM]

@liquidmonkey Damn you're a bit slow on the uptake, eh?

There ya go! MULTIPLE WIN! Do I get a cookie?

[liquidmonkey Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:29AM]

@Darkseider

thanks for that link mate!! awesome!
and in all fairness, how am i supposed to know that is the url?
searching on google for android apps or market place takes you to googles crappy market place app page which lets u look at a handful of apps, hardly 40,000.

anyway, thanks and try not to jump the gun on judgement calls ;)

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:34AM]

@liquidmonkey Just trying to have a little fun, that's all.

[liquidmonkey Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:39AM]

@Darkseider

no worries ;)

[Darkseider Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:36AM]

@Toshi Um... why would they do that with a non Apple product?

[Kwame Nkrumah Posted Apr 8th 2010 10:56AM]

I'm guessing all these must be quality apps.

[sharard11 Posted Apr 8th 2010 11:30AM]

Bottom Line without apple success in APPS, we would not even being have this discussion. We all gain when there is competition. Without the success of the Iphone, you think we would have all this fantastic choices now for phones?

Apple haters, we need things like the Iphone and app store to push other companies to develop just as apple lovers,we need to see success of Android and the like to push Apple to keep developing. We all win in the end.

[InBedlam Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:39PM]

@sharard11

Amen

[Johnny Tremaine Posted Apr 8th 2010 12:52PM]

@sharard11
I don't own an iPhone or iPad, but this is true.

If it weren't for the iPhone, companies like Nokia and Samsung would STILL be offering up the same old dual sliders with T9 keypads.

Robust competition and new players with different ideas are keeping all the major players on their toes and forcing them to innovate.

I actually own a Symbian phone, but I'll be the first to admit that Android growth comes at the cost of lower sales for Symbian and Nokia phones. Yes, I know about Symbian 3 and 4, but we've been hearing about that for, what, almost a year? In the meantime, the industry continues to move on...

[Enrico Posted Apr 8th 2010 3:34PM]

Solidifying?

[kozjegyzo Posted Apr 12th 2010 1:12PM]

I'm sure this is in direct relation to Apple's moves to make developers lives a living hell. No surprise many of them are going over to Android...

[P Z Posted May 6th 2010 6:39PM]

Backberry: iPhone how many apps did they get this month?

iPhone: OVER 9000!!!!!