Microsoft’s Windows Phone store has exceeded 300,000 apps

Microsoft’s Windows Phone store has hit a new milestone for apps, but still faces some of the same old challenges. According to Microsoft’s “By the Numbers” website, the Windows Phone Store now has 300,000 apps, compared to 200,000 apps last December. WPCentral first spotted the updated figures on Microsoft’s site. Of course, most people don’t need nearly that many apps—the average user relies on about two dozen per month, according to Nielsen—but a big app count increases the odds that you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for. On that front, Microsoft still has a long way to go compared to the more than 1 million apps available in iOS and Android’s respective app stores.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store has reached a new milestone with more than 300,000 apps on its virtual shelves. The software giant revealed the new figure via its “Microsoft by the Numbers” page in which it also stated that hundreds of new apps are being added each day. Of course, it’s not just the number but the quality of apps that counts. But as WPCentral points out, most leading apps are now available through Microsoft’s mobile OS store, while more “obscure apps” are popping up as well. Apps are one of the keys to the success of a mobile platform. Many Windows Phone Lumia handsets have received kudos for their innovative and user-friendly features. But if the necessary apps aren’t available, consumers will simply move on to a different platform. Of course, the number of apps can win only so many customers for Windows Phone in a land dominated by Apple and Android. Windows Phone has nestled into third place in the mobile market behind the two top dogs, but its market share is only around 3 percent, according to most reports. In June, Apple said that its App Store had amassed 1.2 million apps. Still, the growth in Windows Phone apps is impressive. The store held 100,000 apps in June 2012, according to The Next Web. The number ramped up to 150,000 in December of 2012, followed by 200,000 in December 2013. The 300,000 mark was reached in June 2014, which means the store added 100,000 apps in around six months.