Do Android apps fall short of the mark?

I don't think they fall short of the mark as it where but this is a fairly common critisim. Before I made the switch to Android I was an avid iOS user (iPod Touch, iPhone 3G) and yes there is a difference in the optics of some apps.

I think this is mostly because Apple keeps developers on a much tighter rain in terms of what they produce and how they produce it. Their approch has always been a top down one (even back in the days of the failed mac clones in the earily 90's) This assures quality and uniformity in their products but also makes them more expensive and reduces market diversity. I think you can see this in their apps as well; by keeping designers on a tight leash, they can better control the overall direction the product is moving in but it makes development much more difficult and also cuts into designers pockets more. It also gives the consumer much less choice as he is almost exclusivly forced to use iTunes.

So, yes, there is some major difference among some apps but there are many which look just as good if not better on Android. Also Android can bost a much larger pool of apps then iTunes can so while there may be something to the critisim from a certian angle, I don't think it holds up well when expanded across the entire Android ecosystem.