Skip to main content

Apple’s App Store: 15 bln downloads, $2.5 bln paid to developers

Apple iOS 5 hero
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple might not have trumpeted that over 100,000 applications are now available for its iPad tablets, but the company is publicly marking another milestone: customers have downloaded more than 15 billion apps from the App Store, and Apple has paid over $2.5 billion to app developers.

Recommended Videos

“In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Apple senior VP of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller, in a statement.

Apple launched the App Store back in 2008; since then, the company has launched the store in some 90 countries. Over 425,000 apps are available—more than 100,000 designed for the iPad tablet—spanning 20 broad categories. Apple says that, to date, there are more than 200 million iOS devices in use around the world.

Apple’s App Store was the first of its kind when it launched—despite the initial popularity of the iPhone, not all industry watchers were sure Apple could foster a developer ecosystem to drive the iOS platform. Although the company’s “curated” approach to offerings and ever-opaque app approval processes have rankled some developers, Apple’s App Store continues to set the standard against which all others are measured. And these days there are no lack of competitors, ranging from the freewheeling Android Market to Amazon’s own Appstore to specialized app stores for other mobile platforms like webOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and even Symbian.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The latest iOS update might have reactivated Apple Intelligence features
A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Some iPhone users have reported that yesterday's update to iOS 18.3.1 reactivated once-disabled Apple Intelligence features on specific devices. Certain features, like Notification Summaries, had been shut off over concerns about accuracy. Now users are reporting that these features have been re-enabled following the update.

Devices that displayed a welcome screen after updating seem to have a higher chance of these features being re-activated. Reddit user u/Hanthunius reported the bug on their iPhone 15 Pro Max, while others saw the features make a comeback on Mac devices. MacRumors tested this theory, and while Apple Intelligence remained disabled on iPadOS and iOS in their tests, the Mac Mini was a different story.

Read more
Apple seeds critical update to guard iPhones from USB hacking tools
Installing iOS 18.3 update on an iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple has released a fresh software update for iPhones and iPads to plug a critical flaw that could allow bad actors to extract data even from a locked device. The company says if granted physical access, an attacker could break past the safety of USB Restricted Mode on the target iPhone or iPad.

The aforementioned guardrail prevents USB accessories from pulling data from an iPhone that has been sitting in a locked state for over an hour. It seems there was an authorization flaw within Apple’s Accessibility framework that could allow an attacker to disable the USB Restricted Mode safety net.

Read more
This music app is doing something different in the Apple App Store
The Practice Pro app.

The iOS App Store is awash with apps using subscriptions and in-app payments, but our attention has been drawn to a brand new release that goes back to the old way of doing things — charging a one-off payment. It’s such a rare approach, the company has even drawn attention to it in the app’s top features list.

The app is Practice Pro, a release from developers Dynamic App Design, and it is made to help musicians practice and improve with use. The studio claims it’s suitable for professional and amateur musicians due to its clever modular design. Using different widgets, the app can be set up to only include the practice tools relevant to you, a better option than either using multiple apps, or having a cluttered, unfocused menu.

Read more