IDC: WP7 App Store Grows Faster than Android Market - Open China Community

According to the latest data from market research company IDC, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace has developed better than Google's Android, and is expected to have a bright future.

IDC analyst Al Hilwa stated in the research report that the WP7 Marketplace had reached 4,000 applications within just two months of its launch. It took the Android application store six months to reach the same number, making the WP7 Marketplace one of the fastest-growing app stores recently.

In the current initial stage, the growth rate of applications on the WP7 marketplace surpasses both Android and Apple.

Hilwa pointed out that several months before the release of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft had been working hard to attract developers to create applications for this platform. In addition, the company established partnerships with multiple mobile phone manufacturers and set minimum hardware configurations. All these works were completed in advance. Hilwa said: "For a company that was performing averagely several months ago, the ability to launch ten smartphones in 30 countries in such a short period is simply a great feat. If Microsoft's WP7 app store becomes the third largest app store by the middle of next year, it won't be surprising."

Microsoft's fans hope that WP7 can create the same kind of wonder as Apple's iPhone and iPad. Microsoft hopes to reverse its long-term decline in the smartphone market through the success of Windows Phone 7. Unlike Google's Android and Apple's iPhone, Microsoft did not place apps on the desktop but instead categorized them and their content into six 'hubs' such as gaming and office work. Hilwa believes that although no one expects Windows Phone 7 to completely change the market landscape, its early performance is still refreshing. Moreover, in such a protracted battle, a good start is crucial for Microsoft.