Apple and Google have recently announced the total number of app downloads from their app stores over the past 12 months. Apps downloaded by by iOS users crossed the 100 billion mark in June 2015 — 25 billion of those in the past 12 months — while Android users have downloaded more than 50 billion apps in the past 12 months. Google did not announce a cumulative download figure, although we know that app downloads passed 50 billion in July 2013. It took Android almost 57 months to cross the 50 billion milestone, compared with about 59 months for Apple. Android app downloads have overtaken iOS app downloads due to the rapid adoption of Android-based phones in emerging markets. However, this does not include Chinese app stores serving Android users, such as  360 Mobile Assistant, Myapp, Baidu, MIUI, Wandoujia, Huawei, and Anzhi Market; our just-published Forrester Research Mobile Application Spending Forecast, 2015 To 2020 (Global) indicates that these entities will account for more than half of the expected 226 billion app downloads in 2015.

Rapidly growing smartphone penetration, powered by the proliferation of low-cost Android phones, is driving the rapid growth in app downloads. But despite the high overall number of downloads, just 8% of the total apps downloaded in 2015 will be paid apps. Forrester expects the majority of app spending to shift toward in-app purchases and advertising by 2020.