Number Two App Store GetJar Hits 1 Billion Downloads

GetJar, the world’s largest cross-platform app store (#2 largest behind Apple by downloads) has reached 1 billion downloads. This is the first and only time that a cross-platform app store has clocked over 1 billion downloads and second time ever for any app store to reach this mark.

According to GetJar, the record-breaking, billionth download moment happened on June 7 at 11:02 AM when an Android user downloaded Geodelic, an app that discovers restaurants, retailers and attractions nearby.

The bigger picture here is that demand for apps is growing across all platforms including Android and Blackberry which GetJar supports.

GetJar’s app store launched on March 23, 2004 and has skyrocketed in app downloads ever since, announcing in July 2009 that it had hit half a billion downloads – hot on the heels of Apple’s app store who had reached this only a few months earlier.

The first app ever to be uploaded on GetJar was ‘Just Yak’ – an app designed for the old Ericsson T610 mobile, on March 25, 2005. The most downloaded app of all time on GetJar is Facebook’s mobile site shortcut, which provides a fast and easy way to access Facebook’s mobile website on nearly any handset or platform. It has been downloaded more than 61 million times since launch late last year.

The most popular app is mobile messenger application, eBuddy, who recently surpassed a landmark 50 million downloads on GetJar with the help of GetJar’s Pay Per Download (PPD) mobile advertising service. Other popular apps include social networking and messaging apps Nimbuzz, Mig33 and Cncted, a mobile web browser – Opera Mini, Google, Yahoo! Mobile, and Fandango.

“We’re looking forward to the next billion downloads,” commented Ilja Laurs, CEO and founder of GetJar.

And I can honestly say, as a app reviewer, me too.