Skip to main content

Apple gloats: 900,000 apps, 50 billion downloads for the Apple App Store

Apple Events WWDC Logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s Tim Cook reported some impressive stats during his WWDC Keynote address this morning.

According to Apple’s figures, in just under 5 years, App Store users have downloaded 900,000 apps (up from 650,000 at last year’s WWDC), with 93 percent of those being downloaded at least once a month. The App Store has 375,000 apps developed for iPad (up from 225,000 in 12 months). There have been 50 billion downloads from the service (up from 30 billion in 12 months), and there are currently 575 million registered iTunes accounts.

Apple has paid out over $10 billion to developers, 5 billion of that in the last year alone – that figure is 3 times higher than all other platforms (Android, Windows Phone, etc.) combined, according to Apple.

And for those who like iCloud, Apple spewed out a few stats for it as well. There are 300 million users of iCloud and 240 million Game Center users. In addition, Apple users have sent 800 billion iMessages and received 7.4 trillion push notifications.

CEO Tim Cook also unveiled that 600 million iPhones, iPads, and iPods have been sold. And continuing the numbers, Apple claims that the iPad accounts for 82 percent of all tablet Web usage.

Finally, to top off the gloating, Apple claims to have a 97 percent satisfaction rating for iOS, and has been ranked number one in customer satisfaction nine times in a row by JD Power and Associates. iOS 6 is world’s most popular operating system; second is a version of Android (2.3 Gingerbread) which was released in 2010.

We aren’t entirely sure what the value of some of these numbers is, but it does show just how big Apple’s ecosystem has grown.

Editors' Recommendations

Saul Berenbaum
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saul Berenbaum has been writing film and gaming reviews since college. Recently, he contributed to HardcoreDroid. Now he…
Apple may do the unthinkable — allow third-party iPhone app stores
App Store displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro against a pink background

Ever since 2008, Apple has only allowed its own App Store on the iPhone. In the past, if you wanted alternative digital storefronts, you’d have to jailbreak your device. But in response to impending regulations from the European Union, Apple may be allowing alternative app stores on the iPhone and iPad in the near future — potentially as soon as iOS 17 in 2023.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this will be the very first time that Apple will allow third-party app stores on the iPhone. It seems that Apple is already dedicating a “significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor.”

Read more
The best screen protectors for Apple iPad (2021)
The best iPad 2021 screen protectors.

Apple has always used Corning's tough Gorilla Glass on its iPad screens. While iPad glass is pretty strong, it can still shatter, get damaged, or sustain unsightly scratches from fingers, styluses, drops, or objects dropping on it. That damage will deface and interfere with the tablet's proper use. For an extra added layer of defense, screen protectors can come to the rescue.

Screen protectors are made of either glass or plastic. Glass is sturdy, with a high level of clarity to view your on-screen content. It feels similar to the iPad’s native display as your finger slides across the edge-to-edge protected screen. Plastic screen protectors tend to be a bit thicker but also more durable. While they scratch more easily than glass protectors and can attract more fingerprints, there’s less risk of permanent damage to your iPad. Some screen protectors feature an anti-glare coating to ensure extra privacy by making it harder for casual observers to see what’s on your screen. Oleophobic coatings keep fingerprints from sticking to glass protectors.

Read more
This EU law could force Apple to open up iMessage and the App Store
Someone holding an iPhone 14 with the display turned on.

The EU's Digital Markets Act (or DMA) has gone into force today. It could force Apple to open up the iPhone's iMessage and app-buying platforms to third-party apps and services. Companies that fall afoul of the act could be fined up to 20% of global turnover. Apple has previously criticized the DMA for being a "blunt instrument."

The DMA aims to allow smaller services to compete more equitably with larger ones. This means that companies with a certain number of users, labeled as gatekeepers, would have to make their platforms interoperable with smaller ones. Large platforms like Facebook or iMessage, for example, would be required to open up, while something like Signal could scrape by.

Read more