Apple reaches 1 billion app mark at rate of 5.5 million per day

[AppleInsider]

Apple has reached a symbolic 1 billion iPhone apps downloaded through the App Store in less than one year, and managed it at an unprecedented rate for the company.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics giant confirmed the event shortly before 5PM Eastern time on Thursday, but as of this writing hadn't announced the name of the customer who downloaded the 1 billionth app or the download in question.

Similar to past iTunes music contests, though, the person who helped Apple achieve the milestone will be rewarded for their effort: the company will give the winner a 17-inch MacBook Pro, a Time Capsule router and a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card.

More significant, though, may be the speed with which Apple crossed the threshold. When the company had originally announced the countdown on April 10th, it had started the countdown with approximately 927 million apps downloaded since the App Store had opened in July of last year. At the time, the store was already pushing over 5 million apps per day.

With another 73 million downloads added to the counter in the 13 days since, the 1 billion mark signals that Apple registered an average of 5.55 million apps per day during the course of the countdown -- a 10 percent rate increase in just two weeks.

The increase caps a strong launch for the nine month-old App Store and supports just-published findings which show iPhone data use quickly outpacing its rival Android multiple times over in the wake of third-party apps being available on either platform. Research by mobile ad provider AdMob shows that US iPhone traffic during the App Store's first five months of existence grew an average of 88 percent each month, or nearly twice as much as Android's 47 percent in the five months since Android Market first opened its doors; the ability to customize the phone with software has in both cases triggered a rush, but Apple has reaped the most benefit from allowing outside developers.

While Apple had an unfair advantage of more iPhones already on the market and three months where Android wasn't offering competition, the discrepancy has widened to where US iPhones alone accounted for 8.4 times more data traffic on AdMob's service in March than Android phones, which so far are only represented by the T-Mobile G1. That gap becomes even wider at 13.8 times more traffic when all iPhones worldwide are factored in, and a dramatic 23 times larger when the iPod touch is included in the mix.

Apple's only worry now is that it may lose its edge through the possible ubiquity of Android in the future, AdMob says. Besides expansion to other countries, the Google-made mobile operating system should be available on more carriers, more phones and even on larger portables like Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and netbooks.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[SpamSandwich]

Ah, there we go. This is huge, huge news for the App Store and for Apple's revenue stream.

However, it was not a symbolic 1 billion apps, it was literally 1 billion apps!

[Chris_CA]

I sent in a registration a few thousand before 1 billion and when it went back to the countdown screen, the contest was closed.
Me winner?

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Chris_CA

I sent in a registration a few thousand before 1 billion and when it went back to the countdown screen, the contest was closed.
Me winner?

Nyet!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

Ah, there we go. This is huge, huge news for the App Store and for Apple's revenue stream.

I was wrong about no story and waiting for the winners to be announced. Must have the graph holding it up.

[CU10]

Bye bye goodies

[whatisgoingon]

The problem with Android will be that developers won't have the consistency of hardware that is present with the iPhone and iPod Touch. Android will wind up being like the other JavaVM's, where it is write-once, debug everywhere. It's won't be a 'write an app for Android', it's 'write an app for these phones, which have these different features, which happen to run Android".

[Booga]

Originally Posted by whatisgoingon

The problem with Android will be that developers won't have the consistency of hardware that is present with the iPhone and iPod Touch. Android will wind up being like the other JavaVM's, where it is write-once, debug everywhere. It's won't be a 'write an app for Android', it's 'write an app for these phones, which have these different features, which happen to run Android".

I take it you have no actual experience deploying Java apps?

[addabox]

Originally Posted by Booga

I take it you have no actual experience deploying Java apps?

Java apps magically reconfigure themselves to account for fundamental hardware differences?

[addabox]

Speaking of which, remember when all the smart, non-koolaid drinking people explained to us how, because Apple didn't have an SDK at launch, and then tried to tide developers over with web apps, they were doomed to fail against developer friendly phones that let you do anything you wanted?

And that when they did deliver an SDK it was too little too late, because Apple was far too controlling and extracting usurious percentages to use their App Store? And then when we heard about some apps taking a while to get approved, or some apps not getting approved, it made it clear that developers would abandon the platform in favor of something super developer friendly like Android?

No? Oh, that's right. Being a smart, non-koolaid drinking person means you get to be wrong over and over again and yet somehow never come to question your own powers of analysis.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by addabox

Speaking of which, remember when all the smart, non-koolaid drinking people explained to us how, because Apple didn't have an SDK at launch, and then tried to tide developers over with web apps, they were doomed to fail against developer friendly phones that let you do anything you wanted?

And that when they did deliver an SDK it was too little too late, because Apple was far too controlling and extracting usurious percentages to use their App Store? And then when we heard about some apps taking a while to get approved, or some apps not getting approved, it made it clear that developers would abandon the platform in favor of something super developer friendly like Android?

No? Oh, that's right. Being a smart, non-koolaid drinking person means you get to be wrong over and over again and yet somehow never come to question your own powers of analysis.

[coolfactor]

That's approximately 63 apps purchased per SECOND! They'll probably have to randomly select the winner.

[donvreug]

If I read the contest rules correctly the winner is not the downloader of the billionth app, but could be anyone who registered during the contest promotion period. They do not say how the winner will be chosen, and you did not have to download an app to enter the competition.

[Haggar]

What happened to all the Apple defenders who were against the idea of third party iPhone applications? Apple should not allow third parties to create native iPhone applications. Nobody cares about third party iPhone applications. Web apps are really SWEET.

[Dunks]

Originally Posted by donvreug

If I read the contest rules correctly the winner is not the downloader of the billionth app, but could be anyone who registered during the contest promotion period. They do not say how the winner will be chosen, and you did not have to download an app to enter the competition.

Exactly.

[hill60]

I was watching the timer when it happened it went up by around 20,000 in a couple of seconds from 999,980,000 to 1,000,000,500.

It was a huge simultaneous hit on Apples servers, you'd have to measure in nanoseconds to find the billionth download.

[Chris_CA]

Originally Posted by donvreug

If I read the contest rules correctly the winner is not the downloader of the billionth app, but could be anyone who registered during the contest promotion period. They do not say how the winner will be chosen, and you did not have to download an app to enter the competition.

Countdown to 1 Billion Apps - Officail Rules
"The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app."

[teckstud]

I wonder how many of the Apps sold were the "kill the babies" app?

[hill60]

I wonder how many were the new QuickOffice Suite?

http://www.quickoffice.com/quickoffice_iphone/

hmm, cut and paste.

Originally Posted by teckstud

I wonder how many of the Apps sold were the "kill the babies" app?

[ivan.rnn01]

The growth may slow down after winner squirrels 17" MacBook Pro away. still, 1 billion of downloads is impressive...

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by Chris_CA

Countdown to 1 Billion Apps - Officail Rules
"The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app."

They actually didn't make that clear on the page advertising it. They worded it as though just downloading an app up until the billionth app was downloaded was enough. I pointed out the page to family members and they read it the same way. I was going to enter (or so I thought) by downloading an app but I didn't find any app worth downloading.

It makes sense that they would pick the billionth download but they worded it badly. They should have written "prize will be awarded to downloader of 1 billionth app" instead of:

"Join the celebration. Download any app and you automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro.

As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download an app and you’ll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet."

Nowhere on the main page did it say that it's only the 1 billionth app that wins. I bet a lot of people will be disappointed over that. It now seems like they worded it that way to avoid people only downloading when it got close to the mark.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by Marvin

They actually didn't make that clear on the page advertising it. They worded it as though just downloading an app up until the billionth app was downloaded was enough. I pointed out the page to family members and they read it the same way. I was going to enter (or so I thought) by downloading an app but I didn't find any app worth downloading.

It makes sense that they would pick the billionth download but they worded it badly. They should have written "prize will be awarded to downloader of 1 billionth app" instead of:

"Join the celebration. Download any app and you automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro.

As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download an app and you’ll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet."

Nowhere on the main page did it say that it's only the 1 billionth app that wins. I bet a lot of people will be disappointed over that. It now seems like they worded it that way to avoid people only downloading when it got close to the mark.

Sorry you were misled.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by iStink

lol I would totally put my winnings on ebay

I was thinking though, how funny would it be if the winner had won by downloading some kind of fart soundboard or just something completely ridiculous. Luckily for apple the billionth app was something very useful.

BILLION APP DOWNLOADED: Chia pet app. Watch a chia pet grow on your iphone!! :x

I think when you're selling multiple apps a second, you have some leeway in determining which, exactly, was the billionth app.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by italiankid

with the help of a contest... it reached its goal faster... otherwise it would have been past June for sure for them to reach 1 billion

Yeah. And that would have been totally lame. A billion apps in an extra two months? Pfffft. As if, Apple.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by addabox

Yeah. And that would have been totally lame. A billion apps in an extra two months? Pfffft. As if, Apple.

What is so fantastic about 1 billion app when the majority of them are crap apps? This 1billion apps downloaded reminds me of McDonald's over 1billion served- like WhoGivesaF?
How many free fart apps make up that 1billion, addabox?

[addabox]

Originally Posted by teckstud

What is so fantastic about 1 billion app when the majority of them are crap apps? This 1billion apps downloaded reminds me of McDonald's over 1billion served- like WhoGivesaF?
How many free fart apps make up that 1billion, addabox?

Gosh, I don't know, teckstud. How many of the songs on iTunes suck?

And, of course, if Apple started tossing off apps to make raise the standard, you'd be first in line to belittle Apple for being overly controlling.

Because you are, apparently, a robot of some sort, so making sense doesn't really seem to have much to do with it, does it?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by addabox

Gosh, I don't know, teckstud. How many of the songs on iTunes suck?

And, of course, if Apple started tossing off apps to make raise the standard, you'd be first in line to belittle Apple for being overly controlling.

Because you are, apparently, a robot of some sort, so making sense doesn't really seem to have much to do with it, does it?

Wow- I don't know what to say- if you can't decipher why songs $old would be a different valued goal in numeric quantity as opposed to free crap apps downloaded then I refuse to spoon feed the answer to you.

[jazzguru]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Wow- I don't know what to say- if you can't decipher why songs $old would be a different valued goal in numeric quantity as opposed to free crap apps downloaded then I refuse to spoon feed the answer to you.

Please, Sir, can I have some more?

[SpamSandwich]

BTW, I understand a 13-year old kid won the contest. Good for him. Now go forth and create apps.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by iStink

why do you dorks always have to nerd rage on each other about everything?

fuckin give it a break already.

50 posts in and your in charge. What a gratingly pompous little shitbag.

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by addabox

Yeah. And that would have been totally lame. A billion apps in an extra two months? Pfffft. As if, Apple.

I think it's significant though because if it took that long, they wouldn't be able to say 'over 1 billion apps downloaded in under a year'. It's like how they say they transitioned to Intel in 9 months. They like to be known for fast turnarounds.

Originally Posted by teckstud

What is so fantastic about 1 billion app when the majority of them are crap apps? This 1billion apps downloaded reminds me of McDonald's over 1billion served- like WhoGivesaF?
How many free fart apps make up that 1billion, addabox?

I would partly agree with this but weighing up the numbers, ipods + iphones = 40 million total or something so an average user must be downloading over 20 apps each.

The apps are mostly terrible but it does show a degree of interest in the content delivery system despite the poor quality on offer so Apple does have something to brag about. As always, Apple's bragging should go unnoticed by consumers though and instead people should only recognize things Apple does that benefits consumers.

Making a restrictive, profit-making store with a broken rating system that fails to quarantine a huge number of poor quality software is not one of those things IMO.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by addabox

50 posts in and your in charge. What a gratingly pompous little shitbag.

Well, he did have the presence of mind to choose the moniker "iStink".

[addabox]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

Well, he did have the presence of mind to choose the moniker "iStink".

Heh. And I can't spell "you're", so I fail at imperious dismissal.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by addabox

Heh. And I can't spell "you're", so I fail at imperious dismissal.

But the effort was appreciated.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by iStink

Aww did I hurt your feewings? Did the big bad man with low post count make a point u didn't like. awwwww.

I haven't been here long, but in that time I've already grown sick of your constant flaming. You add nothing substantial to discussions and on top of all of that, I've yet to see you act polite in the slightest way to anyone.

But hey, it's the internet right? People who otherwise are submissive and dull in real life can lash out and rage at the drop of a hat on the internet.

Tell me about rage, some more, you lunatic.

[solipsism]

The results are in...

The one billionth app, Bump created by Bump Technologies, was downloaded by Connor Mulcahey, age 13, of Weston, CT. As the grand prize winner of Apple’s one billion app countdown contest, Connor will receive a $10,000 iTunes gift card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule and a MacBook Pro.

Lucky kid. I wonder what MS will give away when they reach their 1 Billionth WinMobile app? Probably whatever Zune and Xbox will around in 2045.

[przemekspider]

Hello, check out my new blog. I'm a Polish Mac blogger and I have just launched an English version of my blog http://www.spidersapple.com/2009/04/...-billions.html