The Play Store enjoys a moment of triumph as it finally surpasses the App Store for first-time app downloads. 

It would seem that 2017 was the year of redemption for Google's Play Store. For the first time, the Android-focused application store has scored more first-time app downloads than Apple's App Store.

According to an analysis carried out by the research company SensorTower, mobile users spent approximately $58.6 billion on apps and games last year. The amount spent by app users includes in-app purchases, premium apps, and subscriptions on both the Play Store and App Store. Revenues represent a 35% increase, year-on-year . The App Store claims around $38.5 billion under that revenue while the Play Store settles at just $20.1 billion. 

However, the most noteworthy development happened in favor of the Play Store. As per the report, this is the first time that the Play Store has registered more first-time app downloads than the App Store. The report confirms that the Play Store recorded a 13% growth of first-time app installs globally, which accounts for a total of 91.5 billion downloads. On the contrary, App Store's first-time downloads only grew by 6.7%, representing just 28 billion downloads. 

According to the report, the primary reasons the Play Store registered more first-time app downloads are because of its growing reach in developing markets. And with the advent of the Android One program, its range continues to penetrate a significant chunk of emerging markets. 

Source: ccm