Apple's artful marketing has helped convince many that there's already "an app for that" in the crowded virtual aisles of its App Store, which stocks about 250,000 apps and has processed more than five billion downloads.
But Google doesn't think that's necessarily the case, and is rolling out a way for the average person to make their own smartphone apps, a task that previously required a programming background.
App Inventor for Android is currently undergoing a limited beta test before going public and demand has been overwhelming for access to the program, said Hal Abelson, a professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who's spearheading the project for Google.
"The basic idea was to make it really easy for pretty much anybody to make applications for your mobile phone, it might be that you want to do it for fun, or you want to learn a little about programming, or you want to personalize your mobile experience and make things for your friends and family, there's all sorts of reasons," Mr. Abelson said.
"It's the notion you can do anything."
Tutorials walk users through the process of making an app that can utilize a phone's functions, like launching calls or text messages and using GPS data. Users can also use the examples to learn how to make some simple quiz games or a Whac-A-Mole knock-off.
Mr. Abelson said homemade apps can't be uploaded to the Android Market yet but eventually that feature will likely be added, and users can try to sell their apps if they'd like.
But users new to programming probably shouldn't start fantasizing about creating the next big app and getting rich in the process.
While some of the top smartphone apps have generated millions in sales and monthly six-figure income streams, Mr. Abelson said App Inventor creations probably won't be sophisticated enough to take the world by storm.
"This is not going to compete with the professional application developers ... at the moment we're targeting it to make very simple apps for your personal use," he said, but added that could change.
"I think there are a lot of people who want (the program to become more advanced) and it's one of the things we're going to consider, because it's a perfectly reasonable thing for App Inventor to become. But we haven't made that decision yet."
Mr. Abelson believes App Inventor can be a stepping stone to exploring real app programming, and there are plenty of options for those looking to learn.
Smartphone app design is a growing field with classes sprouting up at universities and colleges, and countless how-to books and websites offering instructions on design and creation.
Matthew Campbell has written an ebook on creating iPhone apps and teaches at programming seminars. He didn't go to school for computer programming - he was a psychology major - but found the skill came naturally to him.
"There's a lot of people who kinda just fell into it one way or the other. I really never saw myself as a programmer and it's one of those things you don't know if you're going to be good at it until you've tried it for a while," Mr. Campbell said.
While a computer programming background isn't required to learn how to design an app, it's not something that can be done overnight, he cautions.
"If you don't know any programming at all it would be unrealistic to think you could learn it from scratch in anything less than three to six months," he said, "and that would be a pretty dedicated effort."
It'd be difficult for a neophyte programmer to try to create a really good iPhone app, even with the help of a program like Google's," said Ken Seto, creative director with Toronto-based Endloop, the maker of iMockups. That iPad app generated $100,000 in sales in just four months.
"I can't imagine those (app-building programs) being of any real use to anybody other than as an exercise in creating stuff, you still have to be an actual software developer," said Mr. Seto.
Quality expectations are very high among Apple users, he added, so to succeed, apps have to be extremely polished.
"It's so easy for an app not to feel right if you don't do it well," he said.
"There are a lot of nuances and it requires a stringent level of usability and design to make an app that feels good when you're using it."
As for the next steps for App Inventor, Mr. Abelson is exploring the launch of a sharing site where users can upload their creations and have others tweak them. He also isn't ruling out that the program could one day be used to make apps for different platforms, like tablets, computers or even TVs.
Users interested in the program can sign up for access to the beta test and invitations are gradually being sent out.