Google is nipping at Apple with mobile apps

When apple's iPhone App store has become A download move program store of choice, Google Google support phone download center - the Android operating system The Market, on the other hand, is less tender.

Apple's store, which launched five months ago, had 200 apps per million downloaded by the third week of October, or about 5,500 apps; That's 14 times more than the apps on Android.

The iPhone store also had a stronger opening, debuting 10 times more apps than Android did a month ago, when it released just over 60.

Although Android can't win the popularity contest just yet, it can't be ignored just yet. Google is betting that it will eventually be able to turn around like the drama in which the humble student on campus eventually wins the beautiful woman in a sports car. The secret is its avid developer base.

"We have hundreds of registered developers and 370 free apps in the Android Store catalog," a Google spokesperson told InternetNews.com. "We're thrilled with the positive response from developers."

Today, the most popular Android programs are Pac-Man, ShopSavvy, MySpace Mobile, the Weather Channel, and the Ringtone editor. And the software including tracer nightlife, fashion talent private management and application of the guitar.

Although these programs may seem unimpressive, they underpin a new start in mobile devices, where shareholders are appealing to users with new features. And so, Well-known Phone Manufacturers and carriers are starting to line up behind Android.

Members of the Open Handset Alliance, including manufacturers LG Electronics, MOTOROLA, Samsung, and carriers such as Sprint, T-Mobile, and NTT DoCoMo, are eyeing Android's growth.

Meanwhile, Research in Motion, which makes the Blueberry line, announced it would launch its own mobile download store next year. At the same time, Nokia, the world's largest handset maker, revealed ambitious plans to open up its Symbian operating system, which will lead to greater development of its device platform.

Google says it has found downloadable software to be the biggest draw of its first Android-based phone, the T-mobile G1. The company said almost all G1 users had stopped downloading software on the Market, but declined to provide further details to InternetNews.com.

T-mobile, the exclusive carrier for the G1 in North America, and its manufacturer HTC also don't disclose sales figures, making it difficult to gauge the number of users.

Google, however, is optimistic about future growth. It also provides analytics tools for developers to track user usage data once paid apps become available in early 2009. (The IPhone App Store has offered both free and paid apps since its launch.) Google also points out that Android apps can be provided by any third-party developer, unlike Apple's iPhone, which can only be distributed through its own store. The latter keeps a firm eye on and control over its software development and distribution channels.

The User rating system is a youtube-like program on the Android Market that Google thinks will also increase its popularity. However, users of the G1 must install a program before they can start evaluating it. "Good programs will have more positive reviews and higher grades, and bad programs will have the opposite." User reviews will provide additional information about the program and allow interaction between users and developers."

All that remains now is to see if the Android Market matures as quickly as Apple's App Store. It will also wait to see if it can stand out from the competition in the coming year with a supplier like RIM watching its back.

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