Apple announces App Store downloads top 2 billion

[AppleInsider]

Apple on Monday revealed that its App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch had served customers more than 2 billion downloads of software, with a half-billion in the last quarter.

Apple said there are more than 85,000 applications available to more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers. It is said to be the largest application store in the world. There are 125,000 developers in the iPhone Developer program.

"The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it."

The iPhone and iPod touch are available in 77 countries. In July, as the App Store turned one year old, Apple announced that more than 1.5 billion applications were downloaded in its first 12 months.

As the total number of iPhone and iPod touch users continues to grow, the rate at which applications are downloaded continues to accelerate. It was on April 23 that the store reached the 1 billion application mark.

Since it first opened 445 days ago, the App Store has seen an average of 4.5 million downloads per day. In the last 80 days alone, that total has accelerated to nearly 6.3 million each day.

For comparison, in its first 365 days, the store had an average 4.1 million downloads per day. From April to July 2009, that pace increased to 6.3 million each day.

Earlier this month, Apple released iTunes 9 with application management. The new feature allows users to view all of their iPod touch and iPhone home screens. With the Applications view, users can rearrange applications on their computer, designated which software goes where.

Also released this month was iPhone OS 3.1, which brought an App Store recommendation feature to the iPhone and iPod touch. The new Genius feature recommends new applications to users based on software they already have installed. With so many options available on the App Store, it is designed to help users find new software easily.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Chintan100]

No prizes this time for the 2 billionth app??

[parky]

Originally Posted by Chintan100

No prices this time for the 2 billionth app??

Or prizes.

[saj]

Is it so that it will be 4 billion downloads in next quarter????

[Chintan100]

Originally Posted by parky

Or prizes.

What?? Where's the typo?

[Chintan100]

The sudden urge to be the first one to post made me make that mistake...

[saj]

Originally Posted by Chintan100

The sudden urge to be the first one to post made me make that mistake...

Some people like you who are just referring this site as to promote their own website. and made the comment in "URGE" like you and done this mistake. well, All the best !!

[PatsFan83]

Do these numbers include re-downloads for updates? If so, the number of unique downloads of apps would probably be 4-6x lower.

[Chintan100]

Originally Posted by saj

Some people like you who are just referring this site as to promote their own website. and made the comment in "URGE" like you and done this mistake. well, All the best !!

Just like the link to that stupid app in your signature?

Not to mention your dramatically grammatically incorrect english.

While app store crossed 2 billion downloads, you can be happy with the dozen downloads that your app had. :P

[Chintan100]

Originally Posted by PatsFan83

Do these numbers include re-downloads for updates? If so, the number of unique downloads of apps would probably be 4-6x lower.

No they dont. Steve Jobs in 09/09/09 event said that app store had 1.8 billion downloads WITHOUT INCLUDING UPDATES.

So this number for sure is excluding updates.

[gimpymw]

.....

[ifail]

id like to see some revenue numbers and not analysts guessing in the dark about how much they actually make off the app store. I couldn't care less about thousands of people downloading free fart apps and other garbage.

[TenoBell]

The App Store is not designed to be a profit center for Apple. The App Store is designed to provide extra value to sales of the iPhone/iTouch, which Apple does provide sales numbers of.

People like to point out fart apps to down play the success of the App Store. There are maybe 10 fart apps out of the 85,000. They are not that significant or important.

Originally Posted by ifail

id like to see some revenue numbers and not analysts guessing in the dark about how much they actually make off the app store. I couldn't care less about thousands of people downloading free fart apps and other garbage.

[ivan.rnn01]

App Genius feature appears to be quite helpful, I admit.

[akf2000]

Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01

App Genius feature appears to be quite helpful, I admit.

err not really, it's all "you bought an accounts app, here's another accounts app"

[brucep]

Originally Posted by parky

Or prizes.

✁

Originally Posted by saj

Is it so that it will be 4 billion downloads in next quarter????

☻ON TOPIC LOSE THE AD IN YOUR SIG ITS TACKY❈

Originally Posted by Chintan100

What?? Where's the typo?

☂❋OFF TOPIC ✰

Originally Posted by Chintan100

The sudden urge to be the first one to post made me m✈ake that mistake...

➨➨✪

Originally Posted by saj

Some people like you who are just referring this site as to promote their own website. ✹ and made the comment in "URGE" like you and done this mistake. well, All the best !!

✰✿STILL OFF TOPIC AND LOSE THE SILLY APP AD IN YOUR SIG

Originally Posted by Chintan100

Just like the link to that stupid app in your signature?
✸THIS HIJACKING OF A GREAT✠ TOPIC ❉IS NOT SO COOL YOU BOTH LOOK LIKE SILLY BILLIES
Not to mention your ✪dramatically✪ grammatically ❅incorrect english.
❉
While app store crossed 2 billion downloads, you can be happy with the dozen downloads that your app had. :P

OFF TOPIC

Originally Posted by Chintan100

No they dont. Steve Jobs in 09/09/09 event said that app store had 1.8 billion downloads WITHOUT INCLUDING UPDATES.

So this number for sure is excluding updates.

NO ANYTHING UPDATES IS INCLUDED AS AN APP dl
THERE IS a counter which clicks each time a dl is completed
it has clicked over 4 billion times
which is amazing

Originally Posted by Chintan100

No prizes this time for the 2 billionth app??

still you havr to post extra so we all can see your fantastic unique app for mid western women sewing club news

this is the most amazing thiNG in the world
i applaud apple
i wish my MBP15
'HAD ITS OWN APP STORE

[ivan.rnn01]

Originally Posted by akf2000

err not really, it's all "you bought an accounts app, here's another accounts app"

It is, it is. You describe correctly what the Genius does. But because iPhone Apps are oftenly limited in functionality, the user has to review and to try tons of similar apps to finally choose one, which satisfies all needs.
Personally, I'm downloading now 2 times more apps, than I did before Genius has been implemented..

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by gimpymw

I'd love to see your scientific explanation for 4-6x lower ratio of re-downloads because if you don't have a good one, it would be like saying that you're 4-6x stupider than everyone else.

Touche.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01

It is, it is. You describe correctly what the Genius does. But because iPhone Apps are oftenly limited in functionality, the user has to review and to try tons of similar apps to finally chose one, which satisfies all needs.
Personally, I'm downloading now 2 times more apps, than I did before Genius has been implemented..

I find it to be utterly useless. Well, OK, slightly more useful than the "Top Grossing" listing, which is of no help at all to the consumer (although of interest to developers). What would actually be useful is better sub-categorization and a listing of apps by "Top Rated" (weighted by number of ratings and number of reviews would be ideal, but even just being able to always sort by rating descending would be better than "Genius"). It's curious that Apple has not implemented such an obvious way of viewing App listings. I suspect that some of the larger App vendors are leaning on them to make the App store more profitable for them, which also explains the equally curious "Top Grossing" listing which, by its nature, will always be skewed toward higher priced apps, a factor unconnected to quality.

(And, anyone claiming that $.99 apps (or free apps) are killing the App store, consider this a request that you provide some evidence to support that assertion.)

[Sofabutt]

2 billion apps downloaded since the opening of the App Store, yet no improvement in app approval... How sad.

[Psych_guy]

Originally Posted by Sofabutt

2 billion apps downloaded since the opening of the App Store, yet no improvement in app approval... How sad.

Or another way to look at it would be 2 BILLION apps sold, in spite of their supposed defective and f'd up approval process.

In another words, it doesn't seem to be a problem for Apple or their customers.

[Beeman60]

Originally Posted by ifail

id like to see some revenue numbers and not analysts guessing in the dark about how much they actually make off the app store. I couldn't care less about thousands of people downloading free fart apps and other garbage.

I too am interested in the revenue numbers, but as paul simon once sang,

'One mans ceiling is another man's floor'

So all those dumb farting, pooping apps, while you and I both consider them garbage, they INDICATE INTEREST and the numbers of downloads correlate in direct proportion to user interest.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by Beeman60

I too am interested in the revenue numbers, but as paul simon once sang,

'One mans ceiling is another man's floor'

Unless they are sailors.

[Beeman60]

Originally Posted by Sofabutt

2 billion apps downloaded since the opening of the App Store, yet no improvement in app approval... How sad.

Hey, the whole app store is a work in progress.

Everyone should chill out on this and let Apple work it out.

Think of it this way...try solving a technical solution to an important problem, all the while the world was shouting directly at your face to Hurry The F*** up!!!! It doesn't make things go any faster, and it could cause extra problems.

[ivan.rnn01]

Originally Posted by anonymouse

I find it to be utterly useless. Well, OK, slightly more useful than the "Top Grossing" listing, which is of no help at all to the consumer (although of interest to developers). What would actually be useful is better sub-categorization and a listing of apps by "Top Rated" (weighted by number of ratings and number of reviews would be ideal, but even just being able to always sort by rating descending would be better than "Genius"). It's curious that Apple has not implemented such an obvious way of viewing App listings. I suspect that some of the larger App vendors are leaning on them to make the App store more profitable for them, which also explains the equally curious "Top Grossing" listing which, by its nature, will always be skewed toward higher priced apps, a factor unconnected to quality.

(And, anyone claiming that $.99 apps (or free apps) are killing the App store, consider this a request that you provide some evidence to support that assertion.)

Neither is "Top Grossing" helpful for me.
"Top Rated" query is nice to have, too. But, IMO, such a query doesn't influence directly the number of downloaded applications.

[teckstud]

Not quite sure why this is that significant- afterall I bought the beer app yesterday!

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01

Neither is "Top Grossing" helpful for me.
"Top Rated" query is nice to have, too. But, IMO, such a query doesn't influence directly the number of downloaded applications.

Well, top rated would be quite useful if combined with an Advanced Search that was actually advanced or better categorization. The current categories have simply become too heavily populated to be actually useful.

Obviously, the App store is doing quite well, despite its shortcomings, but, there is still enormous potential for improvement.

[newbee]

Originally Posted by PatsFan83

Do these numbers include re-downloads for updates? If so, the number of unique downloads of apps would probably be 4-6x lower.

I can't remember where I saw it but it was stated that the reported number did NOT include updates.

[ivan.rnn01]

Originally Posted by anonymouse

Well, top rated would be quite useful if combined with an Advanced Search that was actually advanced or better categorization. The current categories have simply become too heavily populated to be actually useful.

It will. It will be useful for us, end-users. It will not double the number of downloaded apps.

Originally Posted by anonymouse

Obviously, the App store is doing quite well, despite its shortcomings, but, there is still enormous potential for improvement.

I'm not so sure about that. Millions of little useless pieces of shit kill its whole potential. User dissatisfaction is approaching the store.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01

User dissatisfaction is approaching the store.

Except that it isn't.

[caliminius]

While everyone seems to be in the mood to insult everyone else, I might as well jump on the bandwagon...

Originally Posted by brucep

i wish my MBP15
'HAD ITS OWN APP STORE

Only you could be a blind enough fanboy to ever think an App Store for Mac computers would be a good thing. Yep, I'm sure that's what everyone on this forum wants, Apple deciding what software is good enough to run on their own computer. Sorry, no more Firefox, duplicates functionality of Safari. You don't need MS Office or Open Office, OS X provides text editing capabilities and if you need something more the Mac App Store offers iWork. Oh, the fun of living in a completely Apple controlled world!!!

[TenoBell]

I myself don't find new apps by trolling through the store itself. The most useful apps are always recommended from many other sources.

This is the same situation for any store. The majority of the items sold are useless to you, but you figure out how to find the one item that is useful to you.

Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01

I'm not so sure about that. Millions of little useless pieces of shit kill its whole potential. User dissatisfaction is approaching the store.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Except that [user dissatisfaction] isn't [approaching the app store].

How do you know? If I were surveyed, I would report myself as overall "somewhat disatisfied" with the app store based on the continued difficulty of identifying apps for a specific purpose. I suspect that my experience and feelings are not entirely unique. Just because downloads are high, you can't conclude that people are entirely satisfied with the app store.

Of course, it's always possible that improving the App Store could decrease downloads while increasing user satisfaction. (People wouldn't have to download as many apps to find the one they want.) So, high downloads could actually be an indicator of dissatisfaction (rather than the opposite).

Improving the App store could decrease the absolute number of downloads but it could also increase revenues for developers of quality apps. If people could be more certain that an app actually serves their needs, they might be willing to pay more for it. So, developers might not have to price apps at levels that allow people to say, "Well, it's only $2.99, so I haven't wasted that much money if it sucks." It might also make it harder for developers of so called "junk" apps to turn a profit and keep churning out crap. (Not that I think the App Store is overrun by junk; like most platforms, most of the apps are mediocre.)

Of course, Apple also has an interest in playing the numbers game, and maximizing the number of apps and downloads, since most tech journalists aren't all that bright and that's what they focus on.

[Alfiejr]

Originally Posted by caliminius

Only you could be a blind enough fanboy to ever think an App Store for Mac computers would be a good thing. Yep, I'm sure that's what everyone on this forum wants, Apple deciding what software is good enough to run on their own computer. Sorry, no more Firefox, duplicates functionality of Safari. You don't need MS Office or Open Office, OS X provides text editing capabilities and if you need something more the Mac App Store offers iWork. Oh, the fun of living in a completely Apple controlled world!!!

that's jumping to paranoid conclusions. first, it would be very nice to be able to simply run iPhones apps on your desktop like a widget (but how to adapt for trackpad control?). some are much more convenient than their corresponding websites, and then of course there are the games. second, a central install/update/download store for conventional desktop applications would be a real convenience, especially for updates (which are often important). tracking/download services like version tracker are just not that easy to use and don't always work. but assuming Apple would make this the exclusive mandatory source for desktop software is paranoid. the market would not accept that change. it would have to be an option. you could still install applications the old fashioned manual way. but yes it would be very popular.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by caliminius

While everyone seems to be in the mood to insult everyone else, I might as well jump on the bandwagon...



Only you could be a blind enough fanboy to ever think an App Store for Mac computers would be a good thing. Yep, I'm sure that's what everyone on this forum wants, Apple deciding what software is good enough to run on their own computer. Sorry, no more Firefox, duplicates functionality of Safari. You don't need MS Office or Open Office, OS X provides text editing capabilities and if you need something more the Mac App Store offers iWork. Oh, the fun of living in a completely Apple controlled world!!!

Huh? I actually thought that his was a pretty good idea!

There are multiple vendors currently for apps with the same functionality. Why wouldn't everyone - say, using the example of browsers, IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari - sell through such an app store?

And, can you please spare us the proforma insults. It just detracts from what you are trying to say.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by caliminius

Only you could be a blind enough fanboy to ever think an App Store for Mac computers would be a good thing.

Apple already has an "App Store" for Macs: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by anonymouse

Apple already has an "App Store" for Macs: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/

That is cool - thanks! I had completely forgotten about that! (Wonder why Apple never even mentions this anymore....)

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

That is cool - thanks! I had completely forgotten about that! (Wonder why Apple never even mentions this anymore....)

Well, they probably don't want to encourage the blind fanboys.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by saj

Is it so that it will be 4 billion downloads in next quarter????

The rate of acceleration for downloads (as well as app creation) is astounding.

One day Apple will finally offer ALL kinds of software for download via the iTunes app.

[Foo2]

Originally Posted by PatsFan83

Do these numbers include re-downloads for updates? If so, the number of unique downloads of apps would probably be 4-6x lower.

No, as was noted earlier in this thread, this does not include updates. Jobs made it abundantly clear that the 1.8 billion downloads as of Sept. 9, 2009, doesn't include updates and that, if updates were included, the figure would be much greater. Even if updates aren't counted here, the figure could technically still include downloads to multiple iPhones and iPod touches that are managed via the same iTMS account, as well as downloads to the Mac or PC on which iTunes is executed even though the apps themselves don't run on the Mac or PC. None of these potentially redundant downloads adds to the revenue stream. It would be nice if Apple would publish the number of non-free apps purchased.