App Store adds On the Grid section for location-based apps

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues building out its App Store with the addition of On the Grid, a new section spotlighting iPhone and iPod applications from the burgeoning location-based solutions category. For now, On the Grid features just a dozen apps, including customer favorites like Facebook, foursquare, Twitter and Gowalla--all are free except for one, location-enabled productivity app GeoFences, which retails for 99 cents. On the Grid's introduction follows days after the launch of Facebook Places, which enables the social networking giant's users to share their current whereabouts in real time via mobile device; the solution is directly integrated into Facebook's wildly popular iPhone app and also accessible via touch.facebook.com on any mobile browser supporting HTML5 and geolocation.

On the Grid's rollout coincides with new Forrester Research data indicating that just 4 percent of Americans have tried location-based services, and only 1 percent use them weekly. "Ever since mobile phones and location technology got started, there have been conversations about the potential for doing something really incredible with this for marketers," Forrester Research interactive marketing analyst Melissa Parrish tells The New York Times. "But clearly the question is whether it has reached the mainstream, and it looks like the answer is no."

The App Store now exceeds 250,000 iPhone, iPod touch and iPad applications, a benchmark the storefront passed Friday according to website 148Apps.biz. As of Tuesday morning, the App Store offers consumers over 253,000 applications from more than 50,000 unique publishers, 148Apps.biz reports--the store is now adding an average of 629 new apps each day, with Books leading all other categories at close to 44,000 active applications, followed by Games (almost 37,000) and Entertainment (roughly 29,000). 148Apps.biz cites $2.66 as the average price of a premium iPhone application--subtract games (average price: $1.24), and downloads across other categories climb to $2.90.

For more about On the Grid:
- check out the App Store

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