App analytics firm App Annie reports that Google Play is growing at an astounding rate. Currently, the Apple App Store is four times more profitable compared to Google’s online store, but it enjoyed a 311% growth since January. It has also grown by 17.9% in the last month. Compared to Apple, App Store revenue has only grown by 12.9% since January and has dwindled by 0.7% in the last month.
In terms of the volume of global free apps downloaded, the iPhone-maker has a 10% lead over the search giant. Google Play, however, grew by 48% in the last five months in the free app market compared to just 3.3 by Apple.
Speaking at a press release, Bertrand Schmitt, CEO of App Annie, said, “The gap between global revenue on iOS and Google Play is still there,” speaking about the report.
Schmitt adds, “But the gap is shrinking every month, creating more opportunities for publishers to generate significant revenue growth in several countries on Google Play.”
Google’s success with apps started when it renamed the Android Market to Google Play back in March. Since then, app downloads have been growing like weed. It now sells books, music, movies, and games. It has also added new features and partners.
In September, Google Play achieved 25 billion downloads. In October, the amount of apps in the online store reached 700,000, which is around the same amount of apps in the Apple App Store.
App Annie reports, “Although, in the most recent month, growth has slowed considerably, and the question remains, can Google Play keep growing at a lightning pace?”
As of now, Apple’s iPad is the dominating force in the tablet market. However, Android tablets will either match of surpass iOS tablets in mid-2013, according to an analyst.
Do you think Google Play will overtake the Apple App Store soon, or do you think it still has a long way to go? Share your thoughts through a comment on our Facebook page.
