Gartner: App downloads to reach 185 billion by end of 2014

Andre Yoskowitz
26 Jan 2011 18:35

Thanks to the massive influx of tablets, research firm Gartner has predicted that app downloads will total 185 billion by the end of 2014.
Apple announced last week that its iOS App Store (which fuels the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) had reached 10 billion downloads.
Says the firm (via CW):

Tablets will boost app downloads. Many are wondering if the app frenzy...is just a fashion. We don't think so.

In 2010, the iOS App Store accounted for 90 percent of all app downloads, and will likely remain the top app store all the way through 2014, says Gartner. The company did say Apple will likely lose a huge amount of its market share by then, however, thanks to rivals like the Android Market, Nokia's Ovi Store, Research in Motion's App World, Microsoft Marketplace, Samsung Apps and any other new store that hasn't launched yet.
In 2008, when Apple opened the App Store, it had 500 million downloads, so it is clear that downloading has accelerated at a very fast pace.
Forecasting, Gartner says total downloads will total 29 billion at the end of 2011 and finally 185 billion by the end of 2014.