The number of apps downloaded for iPhone and Android devices between January and March 2012 hit a total 603m, shooting up from 552m in three months. Thats according to research from mobile ad firm madvertise and app search company Xyologic, based on data taken from the five biggest markets in Europe – Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK.

And, in spite of the conventional wisom that Apple is an app developers best friend, Android beat out iOS in download numbers, across each of the examined markets. While total Android downloads in the period grew from 262m to 381m, iPhone app downloads fell to 222m, from 290m three months earlier.

The report also looked at the most popular apps on each platform. Draw Something topped the charts for both platforms, attracting 1.95m downloads on Android and 2.5m on iOS during the period. The only other app to make an appearance in the top 10 on both platforms was Temple Run and, despite being the second most popular Android app, Angry Birds Space was conspicuous by its absence from the iOS list.