Google Is Losing The Ground Game As Number Of iPad Apps Hits 80,000
April 16, 2011
The number of dedicated iPad apps available in the App Store has risen to 80,000 according to PadGadget. This phenomenal milestone comes just 12 months after the iPad’s debut in April 2010.
This is more than a huge number; rather, it shows how difficult it will be for any would-be ‘iPad killer’ to succeed in the marketplace.
Just days ago, I had the opportunity to visit my local Best Buy store and couldn’t help but listen in on a conversation between a sales associate and prospective iPad 2 buyer. The shopper, a fifty something female, was told the store was out of iPad 2s. But, she insisted on buying a tablet that day anyway, regardless of manufacturer.
As one would expect, the Best Buy associate showed her some iPad 2 alternatives. One, the Motorola Xoom, caught her eye. As he explained to the buyer the pros and (yes) cons of the Xoom, I could tell she was about to purchase the device.
That was until she asked the associate one simple question:
“How many apps are available for that?”
Surprisingly, she received an honest answer. The Best Buy sales person said, “not that many.” On that, the shopper ordered a 32 GB Wi-Fi iPad 2.
My observation was significant, but not just because the sales associate was honest and thereby risked losing a sale. It was meaningful since it showed how difficult it will be for iPad competitors to gain market share, at least in the immediate future.
Competitors cannot offer users 80,000 apps or anything close to it.
A visit to the Android Market shows 44 tablet apps currently available. Of those, most are Android smartphone apps, so in some respects they don’t count.
Meanwhile, the number of dedicated iPad apps continues to grow.
Take a look at how quickly the number of iPad apps reached a milestone:
Does this mean Apple will remain in the lead forever versus Android? Absolutely not. After all, Android tablets have gotten a late start and Google won’t go away easily. However, the only way to do so will be to go after new buyers, such as the shopper mentioned above. But, even a sales person cannot deny that at this point, the differences between the two tablet markets is striking, with Apple firmly in control. What do you think? Leave your comments below.
- 10,000 iPad Apps – 70 days
- 20,000 iPad Apps – 60 days
- 30,000 iPad Apps – 48 days
- 40,000 iPad Apps – 42 days
- 50,000 iPad Apps – 36 days
- 60,000 iPad Apps – 36 days
- 70,000 iPad Apps – 44 days
- 80,000 iPad Apps – 42 days
