The phrase that Apple have made famous by their Apple store advertising. We all expect an App for almost anything we want to do. We are getting so used to doing things on the hop now that everything is mobile. Smart phones for smarter working.
We thought we would look at the current race for having the most Apps available for users. The race is between the three main players, even though there are really, at this stage, only two, Apple and Android. Microsoft and Blackberry (RIM) are around but playing catch-up in this volatile market place.
Here are the latest stats at time of writing this article.
Apple store 775,000+ apps available
Android Market Place 667,647+ apps available
Microsoft Store 150,000+ apps available
The obvious question is, do we need all these apps and if so how did we ever perform without them. Now remember I am a self-confessed geek and use a good number of apps and technology that I never used in the past and find them to be some of the most useful kit I have and now rely on them, probably too much. That feeling of when your phone decides to not work, being the equivalent of your right arm being cut off. So I am not anti apps and new ways of doing things.
Apps tie you in
I have also found that apps tie people in, so there is another reason to be on the front foot when producing them. I told a friend of mine that they should try an Android based phone and see what they thought and they said that they couldn’t as they had spent so much money at the Apple store on Apps and other Apple related stuff that they would be losing out on a lot of money they had spent. So there is motive in the madness of App production.
Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on the Apps race? Do you over rely on them or do you think there is an app that would be great and nobody has produced it yet. Or are you just an Angry Birds gamer and like all the gaming that can happen in the mobile arena.
Whatever your take, this is a race worth watching and we certainly will be keeping our eye on what is happening in this area. Follow our blog and we will keep you up to date on all things techie.
Ian Thomson
Founder/Trainer/Consultant
I quite agree that apps tie you in (in fact, was that me you were talking to?). As much as I like Android, I would never abandon my iPhone because I’ve spent so much money on some of the apps.
I think apps are about customising your experience. Sure, the main point of my phone is still to be a phone, but by downloading some apps I can have my phone also be a games machine, a torch, a bible, and control my heating. As devices got more powerful, apps were a natural consequence of the ability to do more.
Thanks for that Chris. No in fact it was a old work colleague of mine who was all things Apple. But same situation money spent. Apps certainly open up all lot of content and allow us to do so much more.
It is interesting that you say your phone is still a phone. I think I use my phone for about 90% of the time as a mobile computer. In fact I am typing this on it. I have not used it as a phone at all today .