Skip to main content

Apple’s App Store is now home to an estimated 500,000 downloads

app-store-500000
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple was first to the market with its mobile revolution-launching iPhone and App Store, but a report from last month noted that Google‘s own app offering on the Android Market will surpass Apple’s as early as July, at least in terms of the raw number of downloadable apps. The App Store is no slouch, however. 148apps, Chillingo and Chomp collaborated on an App Store stats infographic which, among other things, reveals that the digital delivery platform has reached the milestone of 500,000 apps available for download. Not bad for something that launched in 2008.

The infographic is rather huge and all-encompassing. The 500,000 figure is a highlight, but there’s quite a bit more to be gleaned as well. Did you know, for example, that 37 percent of the available apps are free to download? Or that $3.64 is the average price paid per app? It should come as no surprise that Angry Birds is the most popular app of all time, with a whopping 275 days spent in the App Store’s #1 spot. The number two all-time seller, Moron Test, lags behind significantly, with only 38 days spent at the top of the charts.

A timeline charts out key App Store milestones. Apple launched the service on July 10, 2008 with 500 apps, a number that grew to 10,000 by November 29 of that same year. By November 2009, the number had grown to 100,000, and then 300,000 by October 2010. Apple revealed in January of this year that the app offering had climbed to 350,000, and it’s been a quick run since then to the current 500,000 figure. The total cost of these apps together — and remember, an estimated 37 percent are free! — falls below the million dollar marker, with the infographic putting the number at $891,982.24. Don’t confuse that with the total value of these apps which, to Apple, is somewhere in the neighborhood of priceless.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Apple just announced the dates for WWDC 2024
WWDC 2024 banner.

Apple has just announced the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. WWDC will take place from June 10 through June 14, 2024. A special event will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on June 10, and we expect to see the reveal of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2.

WWDC will be free for all developers online. Developers will be able to access a variety of online sessions and labs that will showcase the latest advancements in software across all of Apple’s hardware.

Read more
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more
iOS 17: How to share contacts using Apple’s amazing NameDrop feature
Enabling NameDrop toggle in iOS 17.

iOS 17 is full of cutting-edge iPhone features and optimizations, and we’ve been singing the latest firmware’s praises for a while now. Beyond the typical bug repairs and standard improvements, Apple’s most recent iOS level-up includes a convenient iPhone exclusive called NameDrop. In just seconds, this iPhone-to-iPhone wireless tech lets iPhone A receive a full contact card from iPhone B, simply by placing the two phones next to each other.

You’ll also be able to perform this trick by swapping one (or both) of those iPhones for the Apple Watch Series 7 or newer running watchOS 10.1. It’s not a difficult process, but it involves a little iOS know-how, which is where we come in. We’ve put together this step-by-step explainer for using the NameDrop feature, covering both the iPhone and Apple Watch connectivity methods.

Read more