When Google Play (previously Android Market) first made its debut its collection of apps were laughable when stacked against the Apple Store; however, as Android has gained more traction in the mobile and tablet market, they have been neck-and-neck with their competition.
I recently read an article that indicated that Google Play is projected to hit 1 million apps available before Apple will hit that golden number in their App Store. While I enjoy seeing someone beat Apple at something, I have to wonder if Google Play simply is pushing quantity versues quality. We’ve all heard of situations where developers have griped about being rejected from the Apple App store for what appears to be ridiculous reasons; however, every time I hear of one of these I always find myself a little bit thankful that there are some restrictions. After all, if every app ever conceived was available in the store, the market would be flooded with duplicates and also half-coded, instable flashlight apps. By creating a restriction to the store, this forces developers to plan their idea out and execute it in a thought-out manner.
I recently listened to a tech podcast where the hosts decided to step out of the Apple world and give a shot at Android using the Nexus 7. The hosts both have iPads and iPhones and they really wanted to evaluate if they could move to the Android system and away from iOS. While they were fairly impressed with the availability of apps in Google Play that they already had on their iDevices, they equally cautioned of many apps missing (or alternatives) that they valued in the Apple world. I understand that some of the big-hitters will only come over to Android once they start to see the value, but I have a problem making the transition if my favorite apps are unavailable. It seems silly to ditch something that functions how I want just because I want to get away from the Apple ecosystem. This year I’m planning on really exploring the Android world by maybe getting a Nexus branded product, but I can’t help but be a little afraid of what I might miss. Part of me is really content with the Apple platform but another likes to diversify.
What’s your experience with comparing the Apple App Store vs Google Play?
