Report: App Store leaves rivals in the dust

by Stevie Smith - Mar 3 2009, 16:00

While mobile phone rivals are busy scrambling to launch download-friendly software application stores left, right and centre, a new report has revealed they have some way to go before knocking the Apple App Store off its perch of dominance.

More pointedly, a report released this week by the Global Intelligence Alliance Group (GIAG) claims that Apple Inc. is “miles ahead” of the curve when it comes to application availability and versatility for its iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

According to the report, which included a number of different test categories, the App Store outperformed the likes of Nokia’s Ovi service and Google’s Android Market with regard to contributing factors such as appeal, number (of applications), timeliness, and variety.

“Competition among handset manufacturers and operators is intense, with different market players rushing to add features related to 3G and 3.5G connectivity,” commented Erwin Baumgartner, head of GIAG’s Information Technology Practice in Asia-Pacific, in a statement.

“Applications can make all the difference,” he added, “and manufacturers like Apple, who see the smartphone more as a software platform than as a set of hardware features, have the ability to position themselves miles ahead of the competition.”

With Apple comfortably leading the application store pack, Nokia’s Ovi and Google’s Android service tied for second place, with developing platforms from Microsoft Corp., BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, and Palm finishing in third, fourth and fifth respectively – all falling well short of Apple.

In terms of closing in on Apple, Baumgartner noted that, beyond the established presence of Ovi and Android, rivals such as Microsoft would benefit from redesigning their distribution model, while Research In Motion and Palm are yet to really show what they’re bringing to the application table.  

Since officially launching its App Store in July of 2008, Cupertino-based Apple has approved in excess of 15,000 downloadable applications for its customers, many of which are free. As remarked by the report, these applications range in use from entertainment and education through to productivity and utility.

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