Apps are what makes a smartphone, smart right? As the long standing cliché goes, with over 6.2 billion downloads, there is currently an App for nearly everything! Whether you are into apps that allow you to view nearby foreclosure homes, or you prefer apps that allow you to throw angry little birds at greedy pigs, the App stores have you covered.
As we are migrating our computer needs to smartphones, the market for smartphone Apps has grown like a wildfire in a very short period of time. The only problem with this growth? There are now so many apps in the app store that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find ones that are suitable for our personal needs. This is where the third party app stores have stepped in to fill the gap.
Third party App stores sell apps across different platforms and offer some unique features that are not available in native app stores. A recent study by MarketsAndMarkets found that independent third party app stores will become the major driver of mobile app downloads by 2015.
Why are third party stores predicted grow so exponentially? Well simple, people like choices! Think of it in terms of a third party app stores as a mall, and native app stores as a standalone boutique store in a remote area. A mall is easier for people who want control of app downloads for the entire family or those of us who have an Android for personal use and a BlackBerry for work. Not to mention that as the number of app stores increase in numbers, the market will start competing and prices will be more suited for customers.
So who are the big players in the third party app market?
- GetJar: GetJar is the world’s largest cross platform app store with over 1 billion app downloads to date. You can buy Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows 6.5 apps directly from the online site.
We are excited to announce that Moby has recently placed its App on the GetJar platform for easy download access! Be sure to check out Moby's GetJar page and get Moby absolutely free!
- Amazon’s Android Market: Aimed at creating high-quality destination for Android app buyers and will give Android users a trusted place to pick up apps. As Gigaom stated, Amazon’s reputation as an online retailer should make it a popular destination for consumers and developers.
- Verizon’s App Market: Available later on this year, Verizon’s App Market is designed to mimick Apple’s App store as a curated version of Android’s own Market. The best part of this app store is that you can pay for paid apps directly from your carrier billing, making app purchases even more convenient. For the time being Verizon’s App store will only accept Android Apps.
Below is a great chart by PCWorld that outlines the specifications of the numerous Third Party App Stores:
Now that we have all the facts gathered together, it’s time to do a mini ActiveRain survey of third party app store usage:
Do you use third party app stores to browse or download Apps? Please share your thoughts with fellow ActiveRainers on the usefulness of independent app stores, and which ones you prefer!
Take care and stay safe everyone!
The Moby Team
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