Editor's Note: After this was posted, Apple mailed invitations to media outlets for Sept. 1, rather than Sept. 7.
It’s a mind-boggling number. Less than two years and two months after it opened for business, Apple’s App store now has a whopping 250,000 apps and counting. To put that into perspective, 324 new apps are being added to the store every day. Just try keeping up with the latest.
While the Android platform has overtaken Apple’s iOS in the U.S. in terms of smartphone sales, it has a long way to go to catch Apple in the apps race. And though Apple’s policies have started to turn some developers off, the company continues to generate a tremendous amount of applications. The public is gobbling them up, despite the fact that seven out of 10 offerings in the App store come with a charge. The Android Market only charges for about one-third of its apps.
Interestingly, as the iPad becomes more popular for its larger screen on which to use applications – particularly its e-reader functionality – books are now the most popular downloads, passing up games and entertainment.
It’s yet another feather in the cap for Steve Jobs to tout at Apple’s upcoming event on Sept. 7, where the company is expected to unveil an upgrade to the iPod Touch and a new service that allows you to “rent" TV shows from iTunes for 99 cents. Of course, there’s always the potential of a Verizon iPhone making news, as many have speculated it will make its debut in January.
