Prior to the introduction of App Store, the software industry was largely ruled by a few selected companies. The Store was not the first app distribution platform in the world. However, it’s widely believed to have accelerated mobile revolution. As it’s set to complete 10 years, we’ve decided to turn the clock back and take a look at the 10 important facts!
You Might Not Be Aware of These 10 Incredible Facts About App Store
Original App Store Was Presented in 1993
Yes, you heard it right. The original App Store was first demonstrated way back in 1993. And, it was Jesse Tayler who demonstrated it to the former App CEO Steve Jobs at NeXTWorld Expo. One thing worth noting is that Steve Jobs had left Apple in 1985 following a dispute with the then CEO John Sculley. He returned to Apple after 12 years in 1997. So, it can be said that it took Jobs 15 years to bring Jesse Tayler’s idea into life. Looking at the phenomenal success it has got, it was waiting for so long.
Only 500 Apps At Launch
When Apple’s ambitious app distribution platform launched on July 10, 2008, it had only 500 apps. And, 25% of the total apps were available for free. 90% of the remaining apps were available for $9.99 or less. Some of the popular apps during the launch were, iTunes Remote, Google Search, Facebook, The New York Times, etc.
Whopping 10 Million Apps Were Downloaded in the Very First Weekend
App Store saw a massive 10 million app downloads in the very first weekend. Moreover, by September of 2008, the number of available apps had surpassed 3,000 and the overall app downloads had gone beyond 100 million. “The App Store is a grand slam, with a staggering 10 million applications downloaded in just three days. Developers have created some extraordinary applications, and the App Store can wirelessly deliver them to every iPhone and iPod touch user instantly” – said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. (Apple had published this report on July 14, 2008)
And, It Didn’t Take That Long Before The Billionth was Downloaded
App Store downloads continued to increase by leaps and bounds. And it was on April 24, 2009, when the billionth application was downloaded. It was able to achieve this unprecedented feat in just 9 months! “The revolutionary App Store has been a phenomenal hit with iPhone and iPod touch users around the world, and we’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve the astonishing milestone of one billion apps downloaded,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. – Apple
Over 2 Million Apps
“This statistic contains data on the number of apps available for download in leading app stores as of the first quarter of 2018. As of that month, Android users were able to choose between 3.8 million apps. Apple’s App Store remained the second-largest app store with 2 million available apps.” – statista
China is the Number One Destination for App Store Revenue
China overtook US as the number one destination for App Store revenue in the Q3 2016. It’s by far the biggest market for the iOS App Store. The app tracking firm had said that China was %15 ahead of US and its share will increase even further by 2020. “China shattered iOS revenue records with the highest reported this quarter to date for any country. China also not only maintained its spot as #1 for Games. It is now the largest market in the world for iOS App Store revenue, earning a record $1.7 billion. Now leading the United States by over 15%, China’s growth is projected to climb further by 2020.” App Annie
Apple has So Far Paid $100 Billion to Developers
At the WWDC 2018, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that developers have earned $100 billion from the App Store. The total number stood at $50 billion in 2016 and $70 billion in 2017. Clearly, it was doubled in just two years. “We’re also happy to announce that this week, we’re going to achieve another huge milestone,” Cook announced at WWDC 2018. “The money that developers have earned through the App Store will top $100 billion.”
Games Are the Most Sought After Items
Games are the most popular category. Recently Fortnite Battle Royal earned $100 million in just 90 days. If you think that this is the highest figure, let me tell you that it’s nowhere near the top. Clash Royale succeeded to break the $100 million milestones in just 51 days. While Knives Out had reached that magic figure in 173 days, Honor of Kings got there in 179 days. “It took Fortnite’s mobile players 90 days to spend $100 million in the game. We looked at how this compared to its rivals above. Among them, Clash Royale managed the fastest time from launch to the $100 million milestones on iOS, accomplishing the feat in just 51 days. Fortnite, however, reached this point nearly three months faster than Knives Out and Honor of Kings, at 173 and 179 days, respectively.” Sensor Tower
Massive 500 Million Weekly Visitors
At this year’s WWDC 2018, Apple CEO said that App Store gets 500 million weekly visitors. This figure makes Apple’s app distributive service a colossal in itself. Cook went on to add that “Swift” is the fastest growing programming language. He further said that 350,000 apps have been written in swift.
The Most Popular Apps Of All Time
Recently, app analytics firm “App Annie” recently listed out the top iOS apps of all time. Facebook has been ranked as the top iOS app based on all-time worldwide downloads, while Netflix has topped the chart regarding consumer spending. In the game category, there are no prizes for guessing! Candy Crush Safa, Subway Surfers, and Fruit Ninja have been the biggest grosser.
Top iPhone Apps By All-Time Worldwide Downloads
FacebookFacebook MessengerYouTubeInstagramWhatsAppGoogle MapsSnapchatSkypeWeChatTencent
Top iPhone Apps By All-Time Worldwide Consumer Spending
NetflixSpotifyPandora RadioTencent VideoTinderLineiQIYIHBO NowKWI
Top iPhone Games By All-Time Worldwide Consumer Spending
Candy Crush SafaSubway SurfersFruit NinjaClash of ClansHonour of KingsMinion RushAngry BirdsTemple Run 2Temple RunAsphalt 8: Airborne
That’s pretty much it! Over to You: Indeed, the more you talk about the App Store, the more feel like knowing about it. Know any interesting fact related to it? Feel free to let us know that in the comments below. You may like to refer:
Best Action Games for iPhone and iPadMost Downloaded iPhone Apps 2018Best Adventure Games for iPhone and iPad
