Android Market officially hits 100,000 apps

[Emil]

Nearly two years since it formally opened for business, the Android Market has hit the 100,000 apps mark, passing a significant milestone for Google's Android mobile operating system. The search giant made the announcement via a simple message on its Android Developer Twitter account: "One hundred thousand apps in Android Market." It's worth noting that this is the official number: third party services that offer unofficial estimates such as AndroLib claim there are 150,000 apps available in the market, but that's inaccurate.

Google is still well behind Apple when it comes to mobile applications, partly due to the fact that Apple launched its app store first in July 2008 while Google arrived on the scene in October 2008. Apple's app store reached 100,000 apps in November 2009 and now iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad owners have access to over 300,000 iOS apps, at last count. Nevertheless, Android is growing rapidly and continues to solidify its role as the Apple alternative for both developers and consumers.

Last night, before Google made the formal announcement today, The New York Times posted a story noting the milestone and pointing out some of the challenges that remain for Android developers. The article outlined two problems in particular: differences between the hundreds of Android devices on the market as well as payment issues with Google Checkout.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/40835-android-market-officially-hits-100000-apps.html

 

[poertner_1274]

Sometimes I wish that BlackBerry App World would come out with more apps. Just a greater variety is all I would be interested in. And being tied to a BB for work, I can't get an Android or iPhone.

 

[co1rpal1]

100,000s of apps......but only a handful that are actually useful. I'm sorry but the actual number of apps really doesn't impress me as the functions and quality of them do.

 

[kevin1212]

Wonder how many symbian apps are out there, since that os was around for so long.

 

[hamitaltintop22]

Its a start but really far behind apple's app store. I only use/need a handful of apps anyway on my android phone, most commonly Papijump (a time waster).

 

[RebelFlag]

I just switched from a blackberry to an android phone. I find the android phone to be much more usefull bot at work and away from work. The only issue I have is that at work we are tied to Nextel, and the only android phone is the I1. The slow network speeds are a killer unless you have wi-fi available, and the version of android, 1.5 needs to be updated.

 

[kaonis92]

Quality is important, not quantity! The apple store has 300000 and among them only 1000-2000 are useful and not just repeating the same thing.

 

[princeton]

kaonis92 said:
Quality is important, not quantity! The apple store has 300000 and among them only 1000-2000 are useful and not just repeating the same thing.

I completely agree. Apple allows all sorts of useless apps but when it comes to things like a bittorrent app or something that they don't like in the slightest then they deny it.

Does anyone know the android policy? Do apps have to go through a huge approval process like the apple store?

 

[Alster37]

I doubt it as most of the apps I have downloaded don't actually start.

 

[Trillionsin]

co1rpal1 said:
100,000s of apps......but only a handful that are actually useful. I'm sorry but the actual number of apps really doesn't impress me as the functions and quality of them do.

EXACTLY! I came from iPhone 3G, as I am HIGHLY satisfied with the Android system on the Samsung Captivate, I am somewhat disappointed in the quality and selection of apps, but seems like a good market to get into to make some money... maybe I should learn how to make apps for the andriod system.

 

[ryan29121]

I wonder how much of these apps are completely useless. I know there are a lot of dumb apple apps out there. Either way you look at it, still a large selection.

 

[klepto12]

100,000 apps and only like 50 that are worth anything. i have searched for hours on end looking for decent apps only finding a few im sorry but i for one do not see this as anything impressive.

 

[Zecias]

i think that the main reason the iphone is so popular is because they have so many good apps.

 

[Jetatt23]

100,000 apps doesn't really mean much. Given the loose requirements to get an app on android, a lot of it is just junk with very limited functionality or soft-core porn. Doing a search through the market by rating gives the same few apps that have been there for months.

 

[rizalp]

kaonis92 said:
Quality is important, not quantity! The apple store has 300000 and among them only 1000-2000 are useful and not just repeating the same thing.

And the fact that we only need a handful of useful app on our phone, and we have to choose them from 300000 app doesn't make any sense

 

[ViNCiLiCiouS]

kaonis92 said:
Quality is important, not quantity! The apple store has 300000 and among them only 1000-2000 are useful and not just repeating the same thing.

You are right, but there are some other things you need to consider. A large app store needs either:

1) a small number of extremely hard working developers
2) a large number of developers whom are less hard working than group 1.

or

somewhere in between

The fact that the iOS App Store is so full of... apps is that evidently many people think making fart apps is both a quality use of both theirs and their users' time.

It also reveals much about the moderator (in this example, Apple), which as another commentor noted, would rather approve lifeless duplicates of poor-concept apps than to approve something controversially useful.

 

[Faller]

I need Android to come out on a ruggedized phone. It would be so helpful.

 

[jazboy]

Going to android Os phone is definitely plus now. I have iPhone currently but definitely my next phone is going to be Android. I see lot of free application out there for which you have to pay in iPhone.

 

[argoxp]

I'm an Andrior user , and many of the apps are useless or just different version of the same app. Don´t get me wrong , there are MANY useful , but not anywhere near 100,000.

 

[pTk]

Android user here and as cool as it is to say that there are now 100,000 apps only 1% of them are actually useful

 

[vangrat]

This makes me happy as I would really like to pick up the Galaxy Tab in the near future.
And to pTk, 90% of all interweb stats are made up on the spot!

 

[TechDisciple]

Are you kidding me? The only thing that attracts apple fan boys is the "i" brand "i"phone, "i"pad "i" tunes... ect

 

[VitaminC]

Is there any reason, other than work, to get a blackberry anymore? The apps aren't very fun to use, rarely useful, and no where near as plentiful than iOS and Droid. My BB tour is long in the tooth compared to the current crop. atleast i know i'll end up with some good app choices when i switch.

 

[Apothesis]

I just converted from Apple as well and I won't look back. Android just seems to fit me better. I like how much more customizable Android is and the app selection is not bad. It is currently not as good as Apples app store but I seem to find something new and useful every day. NY Times just posted an article about the Android Marketplace about how more devlopers are taking notice of the platform. I thought was kinda interesting. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/technology/25android.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=technology

 

[kearnsy24]

It starts with 100,000 apps and will end up with the world getting taken over. Google will control the world in 20 years from now... you heard it here first.