Android is now leading the Apple iOS platform in the total application download numbers, as the open source strategy of Google is both helping and hurting the platform.
The Google Android mobile platform is directly responsible for 44% of every mobile application download in Q2, 2011. This figure is in opposition to the 31% of the iOS. This information is according to the research company ABI Research. Android application downloads, shown via studies, on a per user basis still fall behind the Apple downloads on a 2-1 margin, however, the actual user numbers whose mobile phones are running the Android operating system are making up and now surpassed the difference.
The strategy of being open source with the Android operating system is one of the largest success factors. By implementing a platform that’s free, the install base of the Android OS has expanded rapidly. This, in turn, has begun to drive the growth with the numbers of 3rd party mobile operator and multi-platform application stores.
A few years ago the figure was only 11% for the Android Market with downloads of mobile applications. It was projected to make it up and over the 20% mark by 2014; however, we now know that’s no longer the case. After experiencing growth at an unprecedented rate, Google’s Android platform has reached the pinnacle of application downloads, taking the position of #1. Not only that, but Android has also taken the lead in the total market share in the booming smartphone market.
Apple is expected to be surpassed by Android, by the middle half of 2012, in total application numbers. This is an area that Android has always been lagging behind in, however, it’s important to note that the success Android has and is anticipated to have doesn’t automatically come at the expense of Apple. The maker of the iPhone still has more than half a million applications offered, and their application store generates massive company revenue amounts for both the application developers and for the company.
The Android Market has reached their massive amounts of growth through the open source strategy, although this strategy has also left open the door for Android devices to be open for viruses and malware. This is something that’s not of any concern for the users of the iOS. As all of the different types of malware grow on the platform, Google is facing the challenges that come with working with all types of developers and manufacturers in order to limit the problems as much as they possibly can be.
Although the numbers might show Google is at the top in mobile applications, however, there are still a lot of places where the Android Market can make improvements. As the popularity of Android continues to grow, and improvements are made, you can’t anticipate the upward trend ending anytime soon.
