Apple's App Store reaches 25 billion download milestone
The App Store reached the historic milestone of 25 billion application downloads early on Saturday, though Apple has yet to announce the winner of the $10,000 App Store gift card.
Apple changed the counter on its homepage to a thank you page early on Saturday after it reached the 25 billion number. The graphic shows the App Store icon surrounded by icons of popular iOS apps, such as Twitter, Yelp, Instagram, eBay and Fruit Ninja.
"A billion thanks. 25 times over. The App Store has reached 25 billion downloads. Thanks for getting us there," the page read.
Customers are instructed to come back to the 25 billion app countdown page later to see who won the App Store gift card.
The countdown took just over two weeks from when Apple initiated it on February 17. At that time, the number of app downloads stood around 24.29 billion.
Apple held a similar countdown to the 10 billionth App Store download last year and reached the milestone on January 22, 2011.

The company has paid out over $4 billion to App Store developers and now carries roughly 600,000 applications in the digital storefront. The App Store launched in 2008, serving up 1.5 billion applications in its first year of operation.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Well I could never spend $10,000 in apps, still thinks it would've better if the prize was an Apple Gift Card.
You can use it throughout all of the iTunes Store, including iBookstore. That is a lot but I think I could spend that in a few years between music, movies, TV shows, iOS and Mac apps, and books.
I could spend the ten grand on just a few apps if they were on the App Store.
You can use it throughout all of the iTunes Store, including iBookstore. That is a lot but I think I could spend that in a few years between music, movies, TV shows, apps and books.
Oh, I never realized you could do that, since it says $10,000 App Store Gift Card, and not iTunes Gift Card.
Dammit! Forget to buy free apps.
well at least i tried…
I don't know the current number of iOS devices, but let's say it's 250 M. That means 100 apps for every single device ever sold - including the ones that were just sold yesterday.
Amazing.
I'm betting the winner is Slapppy.
Slappy!
I just spit my coffee all over my keyboard!
2) Create your own app and set the price to $10,000
3) Buy your own app
4) Profit
1) Win $10,000 gift card
2) Create your own app and set the price to $10,000
3) Buy your own app
4) Profit
Only $7,000, though (less the $99 developer fee plus the cost of developing the app).
1) Win $10,000 gift card
2) Create your own app and set the price to $10,000
3) Buy your own app
4) Profit
Very clever. I'd rather have the $7K in cash (after Apple takes their cut).
Oh, I never realized you could do that, since it says $10,000 App Store Gift Card, and not iTunes Gift Card.
And, since it is an iTunes Gift Card, you can also use it on the Mac App Store (purchases there are also made through your iTunes account). So, the first purchases I would make would include Final Cut Pro and Aperture -- with desktop apps like these, you could spend a lot of money pretty easily!
Very clever. I'd rather have the $7K in cash (after Apple takes their cut).
Well, if you have time on your hands to make an app worthy of being approved, then yep. But if you're not a developer and don't have time, $7000 isn't going to get you much. You'd be better off gifting the songs and apps for real cash to your friends.
1) Win $10,000 gift card
2) Create your own app and set the price to $10,000
3) Buy your own app
4) Profit
Brilliant.
I'm betting the winner is Slapppy.
Or his girlfriend, Slappywag.
Very clever. I'd rather have the $7K in cash (after Apple takes their cut).
Yeah, that is a pretty good idea. I'd rather have the $7k in cash too. You could even ask for a cash refund for the purchase and possibly get the full amount.
Well, if you have time on your hands to make an app worthy of being approved
http://www.5min.com/Video/iPhone-App...Train-38571297
You could even pay a developer to write an app for $500 and if it's half-way useful, you might even make that money back from other people buying it by accident.
I find the competition is a bit unfair in that the milestone is obviously going to hit when a significant number of countries in the world are asleep but there's not much they could do to avoid it really.