Android Market surpasses 500,000 published apps

By on Oct 21, 2011 at 8:30 PM
mobile October 21, 2011

The total number of published applications in Google’s Android Market climbed past the half-million mark in September. According to data from mobile app market intelligence firm research2guidance, the Android Market surpassed 500,000 published apps last month, but over 37% of submissions have been removed over time for a variety of reasons. Apple’s App Store has had over 600,000 successful submissions to date according to the firm, while 24% of apps have been removed. “Although Apple regularly cleans up its store from inappropriate or outdated content, its active application share still exceeds that of Android,” research2guidance noted in a press release. “It is likely that the more rigid application submission requirements prevent developers from publishing multiple trial or low quality applications whereas publishers in the Android Market place a lot of market testing, trials, demo and malware content.” Research2guidance’s full press release follows below.

Android Market reaches half a million successful submissions

37% of published apps have been removed from the Android Market.

The actual total number of applications published on the Android Market leapt to over 500,000 in September 2011. In the meantime, the Apple App Store stands at just over 600,000 successful submissions: just 20% more. But over 37% of the applications published were later removed from the Android Market for various reasons, whereas the Apple App Store has removed just 24% of published apps in comparison, as of the end of September.

Although Apple regularly cleans up its store from inappropriate or outdated content, its active application share still exceeds that of Android. It is likely that the more rigid application submission requirements prevent developers from publishing multiple trial or low quality applications whereas publishers in the Android Market place a lot of market testing, trials, demo and malware content. Over 78% of the apps removed from the Android Market were free, which could mean that publishers put more effort into the applications they place with the pay-per-download business model, thus ensuring that it is kept longer in store.

The share of deactivated apps in the WP7 Marketplace today stands at just 13%. However WP7 Marketplace is a comparably young store and many publishers are still exploring its potential. Fifteen months after its launch (comparable to the WP7 store now), the Android Market similarly had 86% of its apps active and a significant application store clean-up didn’t get started until the end of 2010.

Android developers are significantly more productive than Apple’s. The average publisher on Android has placed more than 6 applications in the Market since launch, compared to just over 4 apps on average that have been published by iOS developers.

Over the past few months, the Android Market has been maintaining an exponential growth, but is still lagging behind the app store market leader, Apple. In Q3 of 2011, the number of active mobile applications in the Android Market stood at 319,161 compared to 459,589 in Apple App store.

Download our free Android Market Insights Vol. 6.

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  • http://twitter.com/ryu_goku ryu goku

    numbers are fine and dandy but how many of those apps are actually worth downloading?

    • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

      Very few, basically only the ones that were developed for iOS that the developer decided to throw together half baked for DROID OS.

      • Anonymous

        Lmao!!!!I just switched from n i4 to a SGS2 and found replacements for all of my iOS apps excluding one game.
        I use a majority of business apps.
        Half baked?  Try getting off the couch and look.  A lot of top level apps are available for both OS’s.

      • Anonymous

        Like Dolphin browser, Opera Mini, Vlingo, Youtube, Google Maps.. I could go on those are all neutered apps that are full version on Android and half baked on iOS. And two of the half baked apps are standard iOS apps made by Google how ironic lol..

        iOS has more quality apps for sure but many of the best apps are on Android… Can anyone please add all of these great iPhone only apps so I can put them on my iPhone 4.. I can’t find any exclusives worth getting besides the great BGR app with no commenting lol come on BG lets fix that shyt kay..

      • dario69

        Google is intentionally making their apps weak on Apple in comparison to Android.  A poor attempt on their part because almost 99% of all other Apple apps make their Android equivalent look very weak in comparison. 

        So if you go with Android you get 1% better quality that you wouldn’t get on Apple but if you go with the iPhone you are pretty much guaranteed 99% the better app experience than if you would going with Android.  This is speaking from someone that has the Galaxy S, iPhone 4, Galaxy Tab 10.1, and iPad.  Yup, I like options if I had to pick an OS to take with me to the other side it would iOS. 

        Anyone using Android is a lab rat.  Plain and simple.  This is coming from someone still using Android mind you. 

      • Anonymous

        @c8341c1aea6ab11d1acbf37de7417d40:disqus  Generalizations are stupid.. I know computer illiterate people who love their Androids my Uncle loves his Droid X because the large screen is easy on the eyes and all of his iPad apps like Evernote (even though he found out about said iPad apps from his previous Android phone) are right there and he purchased it over an iPhone 4 even though he owns an iPad.

        Where are these magical iOS apps I can’t seem to find them on my iPhone.. I mean Waze on iOS is slightly better than on Android but the new update came out less than a week ago and may already be on Android.. Prior to the update it was the same app.. I’m impressed by the higher quality games, more uniform OS elements and that’s it. My iPhone stutters and lags just like my Galaxy S, apps force close and crash and I would say iOS apps are the neutered ones because of the restrictions. For instance Dolphin Browser on iOS is missing like 80% of the features and it’s STILL better than mobile Safari and I cant make it default..

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Phillip-Martin/100000077199240 Phillip Martin

        Games that are not Angry Birds.

      • Anonymous

        @facebook-100000077199240:disqus Yes iOS does have some amazing games Warm Gun looks great.. But Angry Bots using the new Unity Engine and the whole Gameloft library look and play identical.. Definately iOS games are on another level though but Everyone says iOS has all of these apps that are way better and I dont see it.. I will give iOS Tablet apps and games but in my opinion standard smartphone apps are better on Android I have freakin plug ins on Dolphin Browser like on desktop thats not even imaginable on any other platform..

      • Anonymous

        @c8341c1aea6ab11d1acbf37de7417d40:disqus: 84% of statistics are made up. Generalizing and saying “Anyone using Android is a lab rat” is a rather close-minded thing to say. But I’m sure you know that. You clearly have a preference in iOS, and that is completely your call. After all, you should use whatever device you like and what you feel most productive with. Just because someone else likes Android and feels more productive in it than you do and doesn’t share your view, doesn’t make them a lab rat or anything else you can think of.
        Clearly, your point is that there is a difference in the quality of an Apple Appstore app vs. its Android Market twin and that this is evident completely across the board (99 percent!). So if I were you, I wouldn’t waste time calling people names and throwing out useless statistics, but rather highlight some apps that make this true. Choose some apps and compare! After all, there are tons of them that are way better. After all, you’re in a perfect position to do this, having used both iOS and Android. Wouldn’t that be more productive to your point than insulting Android users? You are making Apple users look kind of dumb.

      • Justin11141

        You need to take a walk in the park.

      • Matthew Rosidivito

        The fact that you called it “DROID OS” when I believe you were searching for the word “Android” tells me you might not really know what you’re talking about.

    • Anonymous

      What are the iOS apps that are so much better? I cant find them..

  • Anonymous

    when you talk about 100+K apps in your store, who cares which has the higher number. 

  • Anonymous

    Android is a copy cat.  lol.

    • You are a moron

      Wowser you be smarts.

      You come up with that all by yourself or did mommy help you with the big words?

      • Zac Caslin

        Everbody knows that.

    • Joebutler

      List of “New” features added to create the latest greatest iPhone 4S.  Dual-Core Processor, 8MP Camera, Face Capture, 1080P Video Capture, Full Global Roaming, Pull-down Notification System, Wireless OTA Software Updates, Wireless Cloud Storage/Backup, Ability to Text, email, Navigate, Web Search via Voice Commands.  You might have noticed Android had every single one of those features before Apple did, some for several years.  Apple is a copy cat.  lol.

      • Anonymous

        There is a huge difference between adding spec bumps and a feature here and there and completely ripping off the fundamental way a device works and looks. Look back at the Android phones pre-iPhone and then post-iPhone. Night and day difference.

      • Joe Butler

        here and there?  We’re literally talking about every “New” change having been added lol.  I do realize I neglected to list iMessage but they stole that one from Blackberry not Android ha.  And speaking of night and Day comparing Androids OS and iOS is like comparing Windows and Mac.  They are very different animals at this point.  HTC and Moto Androids look nothing like iOS.  And you should be happy that Android exists.  Without them Apple wouldn’t feel the need to bring you all of our features into your iPhones.  Believe it or not without Android Apple would more than likely even take longer amounts of time to bring you your “new cutting edge features”

    • Anonymous

      The guy who invented and launched the first OS specific appstore on a major U.S. network is a Google employee… I’ll let you do the homework and search back to before you parents bought you your first phone..

    • Enz0

      Idiots. Android even had to steal the first letter in ‘apple’. I mean one on. And those little minions? Lol. You guys must be nerds. They are NOT pokemon!

      My parents are straight up Italian and always made me provide for myself. Insurance, snacks, to save up and buy my own things that I want as soon as I had a job. That includes my very first cell phone. We are not rich but little people who act so tough for their love for android are probably crying to get that next Xbox 360 in 2013. Probably already lined up for it. Did you nerds start that piggy bank up and not care to buy something for your girlfriend? That’s all you care about. Vicious you know what’s, that’s what you are. I don’t usually comment back, but damn you guys are plain and simple rude nerds. Lol. Just remember apple was WAY BEFORE android. And don’t act a biatch cuz you know apple would eventually incorporate notifications just like the copy and paste. I’m annoyed they did it like crapdroid, and I hardly use it cuz its pretty much stoopid, but Eric stole that idea from Jobs and you all know that!!! Go play with your android dolls. Did you write what specific colour you want on your Christmas list for your mommy n daddy to get you???? Lmfao!

      Enz0

      • Joe Butler

        Wow, way too not reply to stated facts I used to completely shred your beyond simplistic assessment of Android.  Instead you chose to ramble incoherently and just kind of improvise your trolling post hoping to somehow haphazardly stumble onto a point.  Your fanboy is showing. 

    • http://twitter.com/RocketPunch1221 Rocket Punch

      Pretty sure they didn’t copy the idea of fully supporting flash content on websites from iOS, nor having hardware that runs 4G from Apple.

      Oh, btw the way, congrats on finally getting dual core.

  • Anonymous

    On android: 50% of apps are fart apps and lolcats
    On iOS: 50% of apps are Web pages that you cant look on the browser because apple don’t like Flash

    Both are useless, numbers mean nothing.

    Android: More possibilities/flexibility
    iOS: Devs know what they are doing. More bling for the buck.

    • RIMFAIL

      Oh fatties will argue this..

      • Applesucksfatties

        why would I argue it…considering it is true?

      • http://twitter.com/casandrasdream casandrasdream

        Iphone and Android have dual core. wp7 have specifications drawn from the Stone Age. Fred and Wilma’s time for a new phone?

    • http://sudopunch.com Michael Sulsenti

      I would like your comment except android market is not 50% fart apps, it’s 50% badly designed apps

    • Keymaker

      Justin beiber accounts for about 15% of Android apps, lil Wayne about 5% Lmao. I like how open the store is but come on.

  • Anonymous

    I would really like to see some better apps on my aging, but beloved, EVO 4G.  I am getting a bit impatient.

  • Zac Caslin

    Android = Beta testers

    • dario69

      Lab rats.  Android OS is the cage and Android users are the rats.  The wife asked to use the Samsung Tab 10.1 to surf the web.  I turned it on and surprise, the battery drained for some unexplained reason over the course of 12 hours.  She went back to the iPad that had no issues to this date.

      Lab rats, all of you, us Android users.  Half backed OS for users dying for a product that doesn’t have an Apple on the back of the device.  Enjoy.

      • Anonymous

        Enjoy missing a real smartphone.. I dont miss the games and ever so slightly slightly snappier OS.. I have 4G a full sized 5 row qwerty, a 4inch screen, and Swype as my default keyboard.. Or I could use better keyboard which is a better keyboard than what iOS or Android offers..I have widgets on my home screen where I choose not shoved in my faux Android notification window..

        All of my non-tech savy family members and friends on Android can easily go to the store and find a phone that’s set up how they like whether its Touch Wiz (don’t hate that iOS 5 lockscreen looks mighty familiar), Sense, or Stock.. And if they choose it will take about 5 minutes for one of thier kids or buddies to throw launcher pro on there and download a few useful apps.. I get just as many iOS help calls as Android..

      • Anonymous

        Hmm. I think the real issue here is that you might be doing something wrong if the wife spends 12 hours straight on a tablet.

      • Byebyeapple

        Question is why was she watching porn for 12 hours when she has a husband???

  • RIMFAIL

    Sweet, with all that junk on PlayBridge, it can compete with the iPad.. Right fatties??

  • Anonymous

    Quantity > Quality

  • Anonymous

    Wait, what do you mean “rigid application submission requirements” in the Android Marketplace?  There are no requirements in our market.  I was told that Apple has submission requirements, Android Marketplace is open and free.  Anyone should be able to put stuff in there and it is the owners responsibility not to be fooled into downloading malware!

    • http://www.droiddoes.com/ Norm

      Freedom and choice reign supreme with Google and DROID. Some people dislike that we have no standards and a lot of junk apps, but I call that choice.

  • Anonymous

    An only 3/4 of that 500,000 are wallpaper and soundboard apps!

    • dario69

      Android Market options are very, very diluted.  It is actually quite embarrassing of them to brag numbers when their market is just chock full of garbage when compared to the Apple App store.  Searching for apps for my Galaxy S is such a freaking chore versus finding the exact same app on the App store.  I hate Apple’s iron fist approach on things but darn does it keep the store clear of crap that you can stumble on easily on the Android Market.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=603628952 Gabe Lyte

        Seems Google is less open about the market with more apps being removed.

      • http://www.facebook.com/phillipthomas00 Phillip Thomas

        No they just alllow so much that there is more garbage they need to clean.

  • Jroc869, Cool story bro

    sweet and they could have a billion but i would still only use a few. Apps dont really mean much. I use my phone for making calls, killing time, and surfing the web. I dont need a shit ton of apps to do any of those things. Im glad there are a growing number of apps but that dont impress me much.

    • Guest

      Apps are everything. Apps make a phone a phone. A phone without apps is a launcher.

  • Anonymous

    Since Android Market has relatively few tablet specific apps (as opposed to App Store), these numbers mean that as far as the phones are concerned Android actually has more applications currently in store than iOS. Pretty impressive.

  • Anonymous

    Anyways… I don’t see nothing amazing here well fragmentation that’s about it along with the malware

    • Guest

      Galaxy Nexus will be my 5th Android phone .I’ve never had this so called Malware you people keep claiming.
       I’ve always gotten a flagship phone from Android , that list consist of the OG Droid, Droid Incredible ,Htc Thunderbolt (kept that about 4 days , battery life was horrible) and currently , Droid Charge.I used to be a with Blackberry , this was long before the Iphone. When the iphone came out , I think the whole blackberry community was against Apple . We found anything possible to say Blackberry was the better phone. We listened to those Ceo’s telling us it was a fad, it wasn’t going to last , in the meanwhile , their own arrogance let the times pass them by. I would go get the lastest and greatest blackberry , and had to suffer , didnt really I was suffering , cause I didnt want to accept anything else. I had just went and picked up the Storm 2, after owning the Storm 1. Their were so many people who had just gotten OG droid , bashing blackberry, people who just left blackberry . I took the storm back to Verizon and got the OG droid . I was in heaven . I dont know what I was thinking all this time , I really thought google would fail when the g1 came out , I laughed at it . To make a long story short , I see a lot of apple people doing the samething I did. An Apple is letting their own arrogance get the best of them. I dont want to bash your phone or anything like that, I own quite a few IOS products , I know what they consist of . But the times are passing them by.

      • http://facebook.com/w0oh0o Tyler McFerson

        I guess “The Times” don’t have Infinity Blade, Malware protection, fully-baked app support, a consistent UI, fully implemented hardware acceleration, entire android family application compatibility, correct and consistent resolution scaling with aspect ratio adjustment, lack of carrier junk-apps, great battery life, efficient use of RAM, 64 GB option (even with MicroSD none seem to be but correct me if I am wrong), and the ability to kill applications from the app switcher. iOS is a number of steps ahead, and this is coming from a self-proclaimed Android enthusiast. Until these issues are solved, iOS remains on top. *gulps down a large bottle of water*

      • Guest

        I don’t think you know what your talking about. I have no protection on my phone, i can kill apps strait from my notification bar, I can give a shit about infinity blade ( why would you make that a selling point?) battery life on iPhone has never been good, you just have better battery life then your last iPhone. I go the whole day without charging, and I have lte. Do you? Why would you mention 64 gigs? Do you know how you sound? That’s not gonna sell at all. It’s pointless, sounds like your words are coming from Mr jobs himself, the difference is, he’s trying to make a dollar, what’s your angle???
        Go challenge the mango people, that iPhone is too small to battle with android. 4 million sold over the weekend, joke. Android does 500k a day, you do the math. Or ask siri

      • http://facebook.com/w0oh0o Tyler McFerson

        No. Just no. You can’t kill apps from the notification bar, whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean, Infinity Blade is totally relevant as it represents the lack of a good consumer payment system implemented in the Android community which, by the way, is the reasoning for not releasing Unreal Engine 3 games into the Market, and historically, the iPhone has always (with the exception of the 2G) had better battery life than any Android smartphone, and I will sort of concede my point about a 64GB iPhone, which I’ll admit made no sense. I’m simply stating that the iOS ecosystem is just as plentiful as Android’s is, while you are trying to convey iOS as some barren, cold, and dark jail of sorts, which is quite simply wrong. As long as we both agree that WP7 is inferior to both of our platforms, than we can be on the same team :) .

  • Anonymous

    50% android apps are trial software and the remaining 50% are hyperlinks.

  • http://profiles.google.com/amtorres92 Tony Yorres

    And about 200,000 are spam -__-

  • Anonymous

    There’s a difference between published apps and quality published apps. This is where Android Marketplace will never catch up to the App Store.

  • http://twitter.com/casandrasdream casandrasdream

    Iphone and Android have dual core. wp7 have specifications drawn from the Stone Age. Fred and Wilma’s time for a new phone?

  • Vince S 12

    If 400,000 of those apps are garbage and/or useless, does it matter that there are 500,000?

  • Lee Cormac

    Does it matter that there are 500,000 or 600,000 apps in a store or market? Typical of this culture’s fascination with quantity, not quality. It’s like cable television — 500 channels and hardly anything worth watching.

  • Anonymous

    I have used both Android (Gingerbread) and iOS5, and I will say that app quality is not on par with iOS apps. Most of the apps are there, but they just don’t have the same polish, they’re not as smooth. But hopefully ICS will fix all of this, making the developers be serious about their Android apps because I would love to have an Android phone again (I love my 4S, but I love technology even more so I want to have the two best OS out there) :D

  • Burramer

    Android is a pos outdated linux distro that runs on a monolithic unstable kernel along with windows me. Anyone who buys android pos is a tard.

  • http://twitter.com/LerakeshVizo Lerakesh Vizo

    And they all look terrible. 

  • http://www.TechChase.in TechChase

    Android is awesome

  • ilu 1505

    Hi, where can i buy the android dolls ? Please give me the website, thanks

  • http://twitter.com/palfrei Peter Palfrei

    @twitter-293024941:disqus  499,950 of them, completely useless.

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