Android Market vs Apple App Store: Does App Count Matter?

The writer’s starting point

The writer admitted to using only the Android Market and came from long-time use of Palm devices. The move to a smartphone involved weighing webOS, and hearing out friends who used Apple devices. The main argument the writer heard for Apple was that it had an app for everything, which the writer compared to praising a car for having more cupholders.

What the app store chart showed

A chart from a mobile site showed a very large app store for iOS, a decent size for Android, and tiny stores for the other platforms. The writer noted never wishing for an app that only a friend’s iPhone had. More often, a friend’s app had a close Android equivalent, often available for free.

What makes a good phone experience

• A small set of good apps matters more than a huge catalogue.
• The phone should be easy to use and fit with what you already have, such as editing contacts away from the device.
• It should have enough power for daily use.

The case for choice

The piece pointed to the range of hardware as Android’s real strength. At the time, iOS offered one or two phones, webOS offered the Pre and Pre2, RIM had many models but few with strong hardware, and Windows Phone 7 was only starting to gain traction. Android had a phone for every taste.

These comparisons are historical and describe the market as it looked then.