By Sandy Fitzgerald | Thu Jul 07, 2011 2:12 pm |
Apple's App Store users have downloaded 15 billion apps, a benchmark for the company at a time when Google and Microsoft battle hard for their share of the burgeoning mobile market.
Each Apple mobile device, such as the iPhone or iPad, has an estimated average of 75 apps. While Apple isn't reporting whether it's mainly paid apps or free ones being downloaded, the app business is a multi-billion dollar affair fueled by the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices.Apple said Wednesday more than 425,000 apps are available from its App Store, including more than 100,000 native iPad apps. There are more than 200 million people who use iOS devices, with users choosing apps in 20 different categories.
The store is also profitable for developers, who have earned more than $2.5 billion for their work.
While Apple is celebrating its milestone, however, Google is breathing down its neck and Microsoft has come up with a way to enjoy Apple's success.
In June, Google's Android marketplace had a slight increase of paid downloads, according to a survey by Chomp . The increase didn't come from expensive apps, but from games, entertainment and utility apps costing less than $2. Meanwhile, while Google climbed slightly, Apple's App Store revenues saw a slight decrease in downloads during the same time period.
Android, while having fewer total apps than Apple, continues to build its offerings. According to
a report in March [2] , Android downloads from both Android Market and third-party stores exceeded 1.9 billion by the end of 2010. With Android phones beating iPhone in quarterly sales figure, Android apps may well bypass Apple's in the future.
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced in May the development of a new service, the iOS to Windows Phone 7 API mapping tool, which allows people to use Apple Apps on their Windows phones. And while Microsoft is trying to get a foothold in the app market, the fact remains it does not offer nearly the selection available from Apple or Android, and app availability often drives smartphone selection.
Microsoft may well see the Windows Phone grow, however, when its partnership with Nokia bears fruit at the end of this year. Windows Phone will be featured on Nokia handsets, upping its potential base, which may make the platform more attractive to developers.
For its part, Apple is fighting to keep a hold on the app business. The name "App Store" has brought a great deal of legal contention, with Apple maintaining it owns the name and others saying the term is generic. In one pending court case, a judge has agreed Amazon can continue to use the phrase "Appstore" while selling Android-based apps, denying Apple's request for an injunction to stop Amazon from using the term.
Google, Microsoft and others have also been fighting Apple in the U.K., claiming Apple should not be allowed to maintain a trademark on the name App Store.
With the three players all clawing for their share in the market, the company with the strongest app offerings will be the one to come out on top. For the time being, Apple retains that title. However, with the wider variety of Android-system devices coming on the market, Google could well surpass Apple's sales, and Windows Phone may surprise.
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