Windows Phone Marketplace has 40 000 applications

Slowly but surely, Windows Phone Marketplace is starting to fill up. More than 40 000 applications are now available, with an acceleration seen over the last few weeks.

The arrival of the Mango update for Windows Phone and the release of a range of new smartphones by numerous manufacturers has once again highlighted Microsoft’s mobile platform which, while currently being marginal, is aiming to become the world’s third largest platform over the next few years.

Like iOS and Android, Windows Phone is betting on mobile applications to seduce users that are looking to personalise their mobile devices with new functions and services. While maintaining a low profile (it would be hard to compete with the two other platforms in the eyes of developers) and assuring users that quality is better than quantity, the Marketplace applications download portal is gradually growing.

This portal now unofficially counts more than 40 000 applications from 10 000 developers. The 30 000 applications mark was broken at the end of August, with the interesting point therefore being the rhythm at which applications have been submitted over the last three months.

Marketplace’s Evolution

32000 applications really available
It appears that games only represent 15% of the applications present, while 68% of the mobile application available on Marketplace are free. With 165 new applications being launched each day, the 50 000 applications on Marketplace should be broken by the end of January 2012.

Knowing that around 5500 listed applications are not available (marked as invalid by Microsoft or abandoned by their developer), the number of applications really available is around 32 000.

More specifically, other Marketplace portals like the French edition count 31 500 applications, while the UK version has 32 332. The US is obviously the leader with 33 950. These figures are of course still a long way behind those being posted by the App Store and Android Market.