Battle of the Apps: Android v Apple
By Davey Winder in Editorial
Posted in Blog, Mobile Phones, Google, Apple on
When it comes to smartphone technology, fans of both the Apple iPhone and Google’s Android-based handsets are pretty vocal to say the least. I am on dodgy ground to even contemplate suggesting that one is better than the other, so I thought I might let the applications do the talking. Well, the respective App Store and Android Market numbers at any rate.
There’s no doubting that Android is growing fast when it comes to the applications side of things, with figures from Android app experts Androlib suggesting that the Android Market (the equivalent of the iPhone App Store) has grown by something in the region of 440% in just four months. Indeed, sources suggest that there are now between 9,000 and 10,000 applications available for download from the Android Market.
Pretty impressive stuff. Until you look at the iPhone App Store numbers that is. A couple of months ago Apple announced it had hit the 1.5 billion downloaded apps target, with some half a billion of them happening in the preceding quarter alone. Indeed, Apple reckons that only 2% of iPhone users have NOT downloaded an application from the App Store. On average, we are told, iPhone users will spend USD $80 on applications. In terms of choice, well the iPhone really is short circuiting the Android right now, with a staggering 65,000 plus applications available to download from the App Store. A number which would be even more impressive were it not for the strange Apple habit of rejecting perfectly acceptable applications on somewhat dodgy grounds. My particular favourite being putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Adolf Hitler.
Can the Android catch up? Or perhaps the question should be does it want to? Some industry commentators are suggesting that it cannot because “Android is just a hobby for the company, and it will never be able to match Apple’s marketing prowess” and you know what, I think they may just have a point.
Rated: 100% (1 votes)
Loading ...Comment by - September 9, 2009 on 11:17 am
Brave man - but very nicely timed as I am torn between the HTC Hero (Android) and iPhone 3GS as my next phone …. but as I need the phone as a business tool more than anything I think that HTC might have my vote - not sure.
Comment by hassan - September 9, 2009 on 11:49 am
Android might be a hobby for Google, but it’s certainly not for Motorolla, HTC, Sony, and the likes. with so many new Android devices coming every week now, it’s only a matter of time before Android catches up with the Iphone.
@David, i have an Hero and i am very happy with it. it has Exchange push email, so i am also using it for work.
Comment by - September 9, 2009 on 1:56 pm
I agree with hassan, Android devices (and good, viable contenders to the iPhone in the hearts of mobile users) are going to start popping up more frequently now. For the moment, Android is a distinctly more attractive OS than Windows Mobile, and the Android based handsets are generally priced lower than the iPhone. I think Android is going to take off over the next few months. Will it be able to maintain it’s momentum? Time will tell, but if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that Android’s open source ideals are likely to make it a very attractive proposition to the tech-savvy punter.
Pingback by - September 9, 2009 on 3:51 pm
[…] the only one to do it. I’m was quite surprised - after all the stories I heard about Apple banning apps I thought this could be a […]
Comment by Darn - September 9, 2009 on 10:56 pm
Man, what a worthless article.
# of apps *available* compared to # of apps *downloaded*? Surely some of the 1.5 billion downloads were of the same app, so the number available to the iphone is less. Likewise, surely some of the Android apps have multiple downloads.
How about a straight across comparison and then compare the quality and usefulness of the apps?
Comment by dsgdsgdsg - September 10, 2009 on 10:24 am
Booo, biased journalist!
The article sucks!
(Good thing Darn noticed.)
Comment by David - September 10, 2009 on 5:30 pm
Seriously, everyone needs to stop listening to the info Apple puts out about its App Store. Sure, there are 65,000+ apps. But how many are any good? How many of those are basic calculators, notepads, calendars, etc., that add no new functionality? How many are silly games that take 5 minutes to program, and fewer than that to play? Maybe you can take some time to actually compare the best apps each has to offer and offer a real analysis.
Pingback by - September 28, 2009 on 4:35 pm
[…] anyway. In the end Apple wins again. Grrr. Not yet rated Loading […]
Comment by - October 9, 2009 on 7:55 am
i like
Comment by - November 4, 2009 on 10:15 am
Thanks for sharing Davey!
Pingback by - January 10, 2010 on 10:38 pm
[…] | Author Profile We’ve had the battle of the apps and now it’s the battle of the handset. But after all the hype, it has not been the greatest […]
Trackback by - February 9, 2012 on 7:25 am
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