iPhone and iPod Touch market is strong, very strong. Great opportunity for devs.

MG Siegler is right about the state of the iPhone and iPod Touch markets. They are spot on the best mobile devices around.

“People can downplay the actual number of iPhones in circulation all they want — the fact of the matter is that it has changed things. While there were some third-party mobile app developers before Apple’s App Store, they received almost no attention, and as such, it wasn’t really a viable business. Now, everyone and their mother is flocking to develop for the App Store. And every major mobile player is rushing to make their own app stores. But Apple’s already has over 35,000 apps — and in a few short hours, there will have been one billion apps downloaded in just 9 months…Think about that for a second: One billion apps downloaded. There are currently 37 million iPhones and iPod touches combined…that’s an average of 27 apps” per device.

I keep telling friends and family to consider ditching their current phones if they really want to have the mobile experience. I’d even suggest Steve Ballmer reconsider his no-Apple product pledge. He’s missing too much. It’s not something that other people can describe to you. You have to experience it yourself to appreciate what it can do. Sorry, there is nothing else like it. His admirable stubborness to remain a company person is leading him to miss a very good lesson about great products. Relying on other people to explain the sensation is not good enough. That’s like having someone explain to you how to fly in words and then you go out and try it. Not a good idea.

Anyway, this isn’t a personal challenge to Steve Ballmer. He can do whatever he wants. However, individuals and small developers need to be paying attention to the iPhone trends. If prices can be pushed down a little, I’d expect the market to double in the next couple years. With the numbers of apps that people are willing to try and buy on these devices, that’s going to be a huge opportunity for small developers.

Did you know that iPhone owners actually try and buy iPhone software? Yep, they do. I bet that’s a foreign notion to most Windows developers. It’s true though.

Now, yes, there are people that will probably not appreciate the iPhone too much. Heavy texters are probably going to get frustrated. People that don’t have a WiFi at home would be another. However, for the vast majority of people, I’d suggest an iPhone if you can afford it.