When it comes to digital downloads for mobile platforms, Apple leads the market by a large margin thanks to its iTunes store. However Android is starting to catch up. Recently we say Google launch its movie rental service in the US and the popular, Netflix streaming app is now available for select Android phones. 20th Century Fox adds to that list with support for digital downloads of Blu Ray movies starting Ocober with X-Men: First Class.

Here's how it works. You buy a Blu Ray disc and with it you get a pre-bundled digital download for the same movie in Blu Ray format which is suited to the android platform. You can get the digital download (through your PC) and then transfer it to your Android device (cellphone or tablet). The service will initially be available in the US, UK, France and Germany.

Given its strong growth as a mobile operating system, the support for Android is an important move for us

says, Vincent Marcais, senior VP, Twentieth Century Fox.

Considering iTunes superiority in the digital download sector, this should help Android gain some ground and hopefully in the future improve its media services even further. On a sidenote, Google has recently acquired Widevine, which is a digital rights management company. Lack of copy protection on Android has been a major hurdle towards the availability of digital downloads. Acquiring Widevine should help resolve this eventually.

Still, in my opinion, Android still has a long way to go to get to the same level as iTunes, if ever, digital downloads for movies is just part of the picture. Even now there is now popular music download service for Android, atleast not on the same level as the iTunes Music Store.