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One third of Android Market is filled with useless apps?

posted by Alan F. / Mar 19, 2010, 12:16 PM

This article contains unofficial information.

One third of Android Market is filled with useless apps?

We recently reported that the Android Market had hit a milestone of sorts by reaching 30,000 apps listed. However, AppBrain, a service that lets users tap into the Android Market from their desktop computer and then sync apps onto an Android phone, counts a total of 28,936 available in the U.S. A large number of those apps are low rated ones that come from a small number of developers that copy the same content to make some quick money. AppBrain says that some 32 developers are actually "spammers" that account for 7,500 useless apps. It also means that .4% of the developers account for 25% of the apps and these are the kind of apps that simply open a website or have some sexual content.

Those using AppBrain can skip over those undesirable apps automatically. AppBrain filters out the useless choices by eliminating apps published by developers with high publishing counts and low ratings. Of course, if you like those kind of useless "crap apps", AppBrain will make them available to you. But if you are like the majority of Android users, you want to skip over the garbage and save your time browsing through useful apps that can actually provide a service for you.

source: AppBrain via Androinica

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23 Comments

1. herbiederb

Posts: 275; Member since: Jan 28, 2010

Define 'useless'.. jk Apple is too tight with their restrictions and Google is too loose.

posted on Oct 20, 2010, 1:45 AM 0

12. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I agree with that. That statement basically sums up their operating system as well

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 12:13 AM 0

2. htc_prep

Posts: 303; Member since: Oct 09, 2009

its so annoying you get a lot of soundboards those dumb "isms" and foregin language apps. ugh

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 12:22 PM 0

3. PapaJay224

Posts: 866; Member since: Feb 08, 2009

how bout hip poke or whatever...i agree they need to slim down and filter some of the garbage thats on there...or have a garbage catagory.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 1:35 PM 0

4. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

well, you either have an open market, or your dont. its not "mostly open". Apple is a closed controlled market, Android is an open market with minimum controls. you either bow to what Apple says you are allowed to use, or take the annoyance of spammers trying to make a quick $. Your choice.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 2:32 PM 0

5. easytochris

Posts: 126; Member since: Jan 21, 2010

agreed. most apps i download anyway are from word of mouth so i am looking for something specific. Plus everyone on the android market is pretty vocal with comments, so i really doubt this is impacting consumers too terribly. plus the fact of the matter is if you pay money for a crap app, you can get a refund within 24 hours of downloading it without any hassle whatsoever. Android Market's return process is the easiest i have seen for any mobile storefront i have yet to come across.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 4:59 PM 0

6. bluehorseshoe

Posts: 17; Member since: Jun 08, 2009

98% of Apple's programs are useless as well, and I agree with remixfa...can't have both. Folks are going to complain either way.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 6:43 PM 0

13. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

98%?....... really?

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 12:15 AM 0

14. DonkeyPunched

Posts: 321; Member since: Jan 10, 2010

You're an idiot. I have to say the Apple apps are definitely much better and put together better than Android apps. Currently on an Android phone, I have to say that it is the biggest drawback to Android's OS when choosing between Android and iPhone. Plus iPhone can play high quality games, which I miss very much. :[ I wanna play final fantasy and all that good stuff...

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 12:53 AM 0

16. sleepyjohnny

Posts: 151; Member since: Dec 16, 2009

android also can play high quality games, but no developers have taken the initiative yet.

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 6:21 AM 0

18. biggles

Posts: 269; Member since: Oct 15, 2009

There are a lot of interesting and possibly useful apps on the iphone market. Problem is that most cost money and aren't worth the price. I'll take what I can get from the Android market, being that a larger percentage are available to me at no cost. I pay enough a month for my wireless service. I don't appreciate Apple trying to milk me for more cash.

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 8:27 AM 0

20. Mateo8326

Posts: 472; Member since: Jul 15, 2009

tru dat

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 11:19 AM 0

22. Sellcell

Posts: 118; Member since: Mar 16, 2010

well if all of you people did your home work, you would realize that 68.23% of statistics are made up...

posted on Mar 21, 2010, 11:58 AM 0

23. numberonenygfan

Posts: 211; Member since: Oct 19, 2009

you sir are the idiot.. if your the dumbass who really wants to play final fantasy on his phone.. lol... nerd alert! seroiusly man i have had both types of phones as well and the app stores on both android and apple are saturated with crap apps. The only thing you can do is sift through them.. at least with android you can return them if you think they are cool at first and you realize you were duped three minutes into using the crap app. with apple that crap app is yours.. So play final fantasy on your computer and stop considering the i phone as a gaming console. Seriously, do something useful with your phone like download a fart app like everyone else !!! lol

posted on Mar 23, 2010, 9:53 AM 0

7. merkeke

Posts: 62; Member since: Jan 03, 2009

when you say "98% of Apple's programs are useless as well" makes zero sense. Last time I did the math 98% does not equal 1/3.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 7:20 PM 0

8. tiolawa

Posts: 115; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

I apologize but i think an open sourse platform is better than the closed even with the spam it allows no name developers a chance to get there names out. True there will be more "Spam" apps however it is better than having a closed system that sensors apps because they do not agree with views of the develpoer or because an app offends them.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 7:36 PM 0

9. Big Red

Posts: 101; Member since: Dec 12, 2008

This just in: One third of Phonearena is filled with useless articles.

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 9:25 PM 0

10. WnnaFghtAboutIt

Posts: 149; Member since: Aug 31, 2009

lol...

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 11:06 PM 0

19. thismancooks

Posts: 7; Member since: Jul 04, 2009

if that's how you feel why do you spend the time coming to this site and post comments?

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 10:12 AM 0

21. Osukaru

Posts: 68; Member since: Jul 02, 2008

Update: 3/4ths of iPhoneArena is filled with useless articles

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 12:22 PM 0

11. scorpio85

Posts: 160; Member since: Jan 16, 2010

Palm has a better app selection than Android and barely has any apps to show. I am happier with my Pre for apps than I am with my Hero for sure. (btw I work for Sprint, reason for 2 phones)

posted on Mar 19, 2010, 11:33 PM 0

15. DonkeyPunched

Posts: 321; Member since: Jan 10, 2010

That's insightful to know. I didn't know how the Pre was doing. And they are getting 3D games... :[ I want them on my Android...

posted on Mar 20, 2010, 12:55 AM 0

17. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

with the newest android SDK, its said to be able to improve the gaming abilities quite a bit. Even the iphones games werent that great when it first came out. It takes time. Just like game consoles. The games that come out 5 yrs after launch look many times better than the initial launch games.