15 years of the Android Market: The app that changed the game

Kagi summary:

• The Android Market (now Google Play Store) was launched in October 2008 with the T-Mobile G1 phone, helping establish app ecosystems on mobile.

• Before app stores, finding and downloading apps was difficult through various online stores and carrier stores with limited selection and updates.

• The Android Market centralized the app experience and discovery, giving access to a growing variety and number of apps in one place.

• Early app successes helped drive more users, phones, developers and apps in a reinforcing cycle that grew the app economy exponentially.

• Popular early apps filled gaps in Android's capabilities in areas like weather, file management, flashlights as built-in features were still being developed.

• Later apps brought extra abilities beyond necessities, like music streaming, ebooks, games, social media and more.

• The article reminisces on the novelty of app stores and ecosystems in their early days compared to their ubiquitous presence today.

• Over 100,000 apps were available by mid-2010 and over 3.5 million apps today on Google Play.

• We now take app discovery, updates, and the overall app experience for granted due to how well app stores do their job.

• The article credits the Android Market and Apple App Store for establishing apps as the norm and changing our expectations of mobile.