Android to overtake Apple in app downloads

Android could notch 8.1 billion app downloads this year, compared with 6 billion for Apple's iOS devices.

That marks an explosion of growth for both platforms; Apple had 2.7 billion downloads and Android recorded 1.4 billion last year. The total number of application downloads is expected to grow by 144 percent this year, Ovum said. Android's rise comes in lockstep with the surge in popularity of the platform, both with consumers and electronics manufacturers. A wave of companies have been attracted to the free mobile operating system, which powers smartphones and tablets. Carriers have also put their marketing dollars behind the smartphones, luring in millions of consumers. As a result, Android has seen its market share jump over the past few months. Android also benefits because other application stores such as those at GetJar and Amazon have sprung up to provide alternative sources for mobile programs.