Here is some good news for all those Droid lovers out there: market research and intelligence firm ABI Research has data to show that 44% of global mobile app downloads were for Android devices while 31% were for Apple devices. Why Android?

“Android’s open source strategy is the main factor for its success,” says Lim Shiyang, research associate. “Being a free platform has expanded the Android device install base, which in turn has driven growth in the number of third party multi-platform and mobile operator app stores. These conditions alone explain why Android is the new leader in the mobile application market.”

Android has been growing rapidly. Shipments of iOS devices grew 9% between April and June, while Android grew 20%. Looks like the new kid in town is finally taking over.

Check out the full press release here.

Source [BGR]