Android Market to Have More Apps than iPhone by July

According to a report released today by app store analytics firm Distimo, the number of apps available in Google's Android Market will soon eclipse the longtime title holder in that category, Apple's App Store. Android has been steadily closing the gap, but many will be surprised at how quickly the number of app titles available to Android users has grown. According to the report, the Android Market significantly outpacing other platforms' app stores in terms of growth rate.

According to the published report, "the Google Android Market is predicted to have only 40,000 applications less than the Apple App Store for iPhone by the end of June 2011, and will close the remaining gap before the end of July 2011." This will mark the first time that Android smartphone owners will have more options in the app world than iPhone owners.

And the tide isn't only expected to turn for smartphone apps. Though Google's Android Market is expected to outsize the iPhone App Store by July, the Google Android Market as a whole is also expected to best Apple's iOS app library later this year. The reports indicates that "if all application stores maintain their current growth pace, approximately five months from now Google Android Market will be the largest store in terms of number of applications followed by the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad, Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, BlackBerry App World and Nokia Ovi Store."

This news comes on the heels of reports from a few weeks ago which indicated that Android was quickly closing the gap in terms of the number of applications installed on devices across the world by recently topping 3 billion application installations.

Distimo's report also revealed that Android Market now has more free apps than the Apple App Store.