Apps By The Numbers: Google Play Trumps Apple App Store

Google's recent strides to give app developers a leg up by creating a flexible app ecosystem is finally paying off, according to a recent report.

According to appFigures, Android's Google Play store included 1.43 million apps for its various devices at the end of 2014, shooting past the Apple App Store's total of 1.21 million.

Stephen Monteros, vice president of business development and strategic initiatives at Sigmanet, an Ontario, Calif.-based solution provider, said the app increase was a result of Android's "flexible platform" and emphasis on products tying into the Internet of Things.

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"This is good for Android," said Monteros. "It's probably not as good for iOS. When I look at the two platforms I see a lot more excitement around Android, and iOS becoming a lot older and less exciting. With Android, you'll see a lot of Internet of Things-based platforms to build on."

Android 5.0 Lollipop, released in October, offers new features for app developers, including a toolkit facilitating the integration of new design patterns into apps, said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, an Austin, Texas-based research firm..

"I'm not surprised. … I feel like this was bound to happen, it was just a matter of when," said Moorhead. "Android has improved significantly in its app environment. The overall Android tool chain is getting better."

However, Moorhead said analysts should take the number of apps with a grain of salt. One factor to note is that Apple has a cutthroat app review process, while Google doesn't have as comprehensive a system, he said.

"One thing to be cautious about is that the number of apps doesn't reflect the quality or strength of the ecosystem," he said. "Google isn't looking for the same quality level for apps like Apple is during their review. Apple has a strict review process and there's two ways to look at that from the point of view of the end user. Overall, it means that Apple's apps are higher quality, but it also means that Android can collect a higher level of apps on different platforms, compared to iOS."

Furthermore, Moorhead stressed that Android has a wider reach than iOS, due to its largely global market as opposed to Apple's prevalence in the U.S. According to research firm IDC, Android held 84.4 percent of the smartphone OS third-quarter global market share in 2014, while iOS held 11.7 percent.

NEXT: Apple Partners Not Fazed By Android App Numbers

Despite the report, Apple partners aren't worried about the number of apps Google Play has collected, stating that Apple remains superior in its app quality.

Raul De Arriz, national government sales manager for Small Dog Electronics, Waitsfield, Vt., one of the top Apple specialists in the country, said a few issues undermine the fact that Google has collected more apps, including Apple's strong security platform and strict app development program.

"These numbers don't mean too much. … We don't know about the quality or type of these apps," said De Arriz. "Apple by far remains the market leader in sellable and revenue-producing apps. Apple has always been strict about app development and they have to be extremely cautious about security. iOS is much more secure about malware because part of its vetting program is to look at apps to see if they are audience appropriate. Google doesn't have to worry about its brand too much because Google apps are created and sold in places other than Google."

Apple's release of its programming language, Swift, in the fall, will continue to draw app developers to the App Store in the future, De Arriz added.

Swift was released in September and helps application developers to more easily and quickly build quality apps. Swift recently ranked No. 22 in market analyst firm Redmonk's ranking of programming languages in January, a quick jump from No. 68 in the third quarter. Swift facilitates certain opportunities for app developers, specifically in the gaming category, said De Arriz.

"If you want to make a living making apps and selling games, you make them for iOS," stressed De Arriz.

PUBLISHED JAN. 16, 2015