Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: smartphone, app, store | Themes: Smartphones
- 1. The New Mobile App Order
- 2. Android Market: The Store Experience
- 3. Android Market: Current Sales
- 4. Android Market: Devices
- 5. iTunes App Store: The Store Experience
- 6. iTunes App Store: Current Sales
2. Android Market: The Store Experience
Google’s Android platform is unique in the App Store marketplace. Instead of providing its own brand of devices, Google has instead decided to offer its software to vendors through its Open Handset Alliance. The company created the Android Market as a central hub for all Android-based phone owners to find and download apps for their respective devices.
Overall, the Android Market today is a barren landscape with just a handful of useful apps and a slew of programs that offer simple functionality, but little value. Sure, the Market features the basics–a Facebook App, loads of Google apps, a handy bar code scanning app, and Pac-Man–but its offerings lack depth. Other than Pac-Man, there aren’t any well-known games in the store, and although some of the apps are clones of iPhone programs, there simply aren’t enough in the store to justify buying an Android-based device simply for the apps.
Generally, the Apps in the Android Market run well and look nice on the T-Mobile G1. It would be a more compelling feature of the phone if more apps captured the usability of the G1 in better detail through the use of its GPS feature, but because it’s still a relatively new device, I guess we can’t fault the developers too much yet.
The best app in the store, without a doubt, is Shazam. Also available in the iPhone App Store, Shazam captures songs playing in the area when placed in front of a radio or speakers, analyzes the song, and returns the name of the track, the artist, and the album it’s from. The app even provides purchase information through the Amazon MP3 store.
The Android Market isn’t very impressive when it comes to app selection. Granted, it’s still in its infancy and there is more than enough time for improvement, especially as more Android devices hit store shelves, but even at this point in its own lifespan, the iPhone App Store featured more high-quality apps than is currently available from Google’s store. In fact, on the Oct. 22 launch day, the Android Marketplace offered just 62 apps. Apple’s App Store featured well over 1,000 apps. Today, Android has "hundreds."
Experience Score: 3/5
- Previous page The New Mobile App Order
- Next page Android Market: Current Sales
I believe the most successful application store would be the Internet. It's been allowing you to download things for a good many years for your PC, your laptop, your phone, your PDA, your GPS, etc. These app stores are just proprietary and stealing people's money.
How is it fair to rate an online app store suchas RIM's that is Developer driven, when the only App-capable handset has been out for a matter of weeks, vs how many Iphones have been in existence as well as Ipod Touches?
Of course if a company developes an official app store after delivering millions of handsets, it will takeoff better than started an app store soon as you start handset sales.
Not like I give a damn about RIM's though. Just saying
Interesting how you are quoting numbers from October. Since then, all have video/music players. Stores are now online that provide much improved applications for the G1. They are very promising. There in lies the secret to the G1. It allows for developers to compete. The G1 is basically a small linux pc in your hand. The Iphone and Rim products are Mac and Windows mini PC's, but locked. Their app stores perform better simply by controlling the app sources and charging for most of them. A built in monopoly, if you will. G1 is truly open. With some basic knowledge of Linux / Android, anyone can write a program. It is very much a phone for the I.T. professional/hacker/enthusiast. Telnet, wifi tracking, war driving, server access,email, port scannning and network trouble shooting are just the tip of the iceberg. The ability to add or exchange memory without buying a new phone is huge.The usb function of the G1 is understated. The Windows OS can be mounted by the G1 allowing the exchange of files. Great for back up, mp3files and the like. The G1 could be used to restore and fix a hard drive with a simple user app that allows line commands. The Iphone is a great product and very user friendly. The typical Iphone user doesn't understand half the features and isnt aware of the true potential of the Iphone. They just want it to do the things they need it for. Makes perfect sense. The real mystery is the lack of Flash player availability for all of these devices. Iphone and RIM won't allow it. G1 will. Adobe wants to. The browsers are crippled without it! The market is wide open for these products. They are changing the world.
I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. As Claimintru pointed out, the Blackberry has only been on the market for a month. If you wanted to do a comparison, it should have been everyone's standings in their first month. To give such dismal scores as 1 and 2 for simply not being on the market as long as the others is wildly unprofessional. Also, when you mention "By that logic, some might say that Google and RIM are on the same level since they both offer just one device that’s capable of working with their respective stores", what other way is there to look at it? The G1 doesn't automatically get a leg up for any reason. Last I checked, 1 was equal to 1. The iPhone barely gets a leg up, but the iPod touch should be included as you correctly did. However, in defense of the G1 and the Storm, both are newcomers compared to how long Apple has been creating devices to work with their applications.
Maybe another question to ask is :
"Can your app store knockoffs beat my app store knockoffs".
Our knock off, like several others, aims to make it easier for people for find apps for their iPhone and iPod Touches. The ecosystems growing up around these new phones is amazing. Hopefully, all together we can serve the users better and help the developers of these apps make a good living.
iphone/itouch app store?
it's is a mess. When it first come out, it's just a bunch of random apps in a few categories order by name and there is no option to sort by other way.
yes, there is basic keyward search and top 25 free and paid apps...
but that's about it. user review...just like amazon...nothing new here
What's so good about the store? I don't get it.
iphone/itouch apps store is successful all because of the good apps on it. The store front is a mess...and there are so many bad apps...
it's getting longer and longer to scroll through all the junk everyday.
They should sub category all the apps so we seach by app function keyword rather just by name.