Android to Topple Apple as Most Popular App Platform Within the Next Few Months

Thanks to Google's Play store for Android apps, the Android OS will topple Apple Inc.'s App Store within the next few months.

Analysts believe the numbers shown by each company, in terms of app downloads, mathematically add up to Android taking over iOS relatively soon. Apple recently announced its 50 billionth app had been downloaded. While this is an impressive number, Google is nipping right at the App Store's heels. Only one day prior to Apple's announcement, the Internet search giant announced its 48 billionth Android app had been downloaded.

However, Google closing the gap is not enough to convince insiders that the Android app market will surpass the iOS' App Store. That number comes from the amount of downloads per month for each.

Apps in the Google Play store are being downloaded at a rate of 2.5 billion a month. This is what puts them in line to surpass Apple as it only has 2.0 billion apps downloaded form iTunes each month.

This isn't the only good news for Google these days. They are actually making money off of Android apps. The Inquirer reports Analytics firm Distimo said Google Play's share of daily revenues has increased significantly in the past six months. Where it was once at 19 percent in November, it is now roughly 27 percent.

"The download rate for [Google] Play is higher so I would imagine it will have a higher total in a few months if not sooner," said Horace Dediu of Asymco while speaking to The Financial Times. "The sheer weight of Android units will generate more downloads but on a per device basis the iOS devices do seem to consume more apps and the gap is not narrowing."

Android has been steadily growing in popularity. In the U.K. Market, it has 56.9 percent smartphone market. Apple, on the other hand, only accounts for 28.7 percent of that.