Google is poised to overtake Apple’s App Store as the most popular app platform in the world, according to new reports.
The Financial Times reports that Apple said 50 billion apps had been downloaded for its iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, with more than 850,000 available at the App Store. Google, meantime, said 48 billion apps had been downloaded to Android devices.
Google reports 2.5 billion downloads per month compared with Apple’s 2 billion monthly downloads, and Asymco and Enders Analysis researchers are predicting that Google will surpass Apple by total downloads and apps available within a few months, the newspaper said.
“The moment marks the end of one of Apple’s longstanding advantages, amid formidable competition from Samsung and new devices from Google’s Motorola,” the report said, noting that Apple had used its “superior apps presence to retain a competitive edge over smartphone rivals as they improve their hardware offerings” even as Android has “won over most developers”.
Apple has sold about 600 million iOS devices compared with about 900 million Android gadgets and the US company is expected to unveil its latest operating system at its Worldwide Developer Forum next week, the FT said.
Read the FT report here
