• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, July 7, 2011

Keenly aware of the growing importance of mobile apps, Apple is boasting that more than 15 billion such programs have now been downloaded from the App Store. Even more impressive, MacStories.com points out that the milestone comes just six months after the App Store hit 10 billion downloads in January. "Any way you cut it, that is an impressive figure," it writes.

"This means an average app download rate of about 415 million per month--huge," Fast Company writes. "That's quite definitely changing the mobile marketplace, and having a ripple effect on the entire software market."

The figure "is a reminder of just how much Apple is ahead of the competition," according toMobile Beat. "In comparison, there have been over 5 billion Android apps downloaded so far, according to AndroLib." According to Computerworld, "Android remains hampered by poor app discovery features, lousy app security and limited interest in what's in store. 

"But before we crown Apple the clear download king," PCWorld writes, "Google would like you to consider the trajectory of the Android Market's growth, which took two years to reach its first billion in July of last year. That means that the rate of growth in the number of total downloads increased almost ten-fold this year."

According to Apple, it has more than 425,000 apps, including 100,000 native iPad apps. On average, these numbers indicate that every iOS device owner has download 75 apps, Business Insider notes. Apple also claims to have paid developers over $2.5 billion to date -- after the 30% cut it takes on the sale price of App Store apps, Macworld notes.

"Apple's proud of paying $2.5 billion to app developers, and we're pretty sure those developers are proud to be a part of that figure -- even if they grumble about the 30 percent they're losing for the privilege," Engadget suggests.