Android Market offerings remain dwarfed by App Store
updated 08:15 pm EST, Thu January 22, 2009
Android offers few apps
Although the Android Market has been open for just three months, the number of available apps still remains dwarfed by the plethora of titles offered by the App Store. iPhone owners can now choose from over 15,000 apps, a number that has leaped upward from 10,000 listings in December, while Google has yet to reach the 1,000 mark. Apple clearly has an advantage, starting the race an entire year earlier and distributing over 15 million handsets.
The Android platform still has an opportunity to establish itself, although it will have to compete against RIM and Palm in the fight to become the dominant underdog in the realm of handset apps.
Developers could be waiting until they can charge for apps before jumping into the Android Market, although Google appears ready to allow the option sometime in the near future. The adoption of Android by additional device manufacturers could also provide a competitive edge. Samsung is set to launch an Android-based phone sometime this spring. [Via Silicon Alley Insider]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
devs could be waiting
for more phones to actually be sold as well...