There may only be over 12 million iPhones in the wild, but that hasn’t stopped iTunes users from downloading more than twice as many apps as songs during the store’s first two months of availability, according to a report.
Steve Jobs said at Apple’s press event last week that users have now downloaded over 100 million apps. Assuming it maintains the same rate of 70 million app downloads it witnessed in August alone, it could hit 1 billion apps by the end of the store’s first year of availability, sometime in 2009. iTunes song downloads didn’t hit the 1 billion mark until its second year of availability.
But in reality, 1 billion downloaded apps could happen much sooner than the middle of next year. As apps become a key selling point for Apple going forward and more iPhones and iPods get out into the wild, more users will find reason to download apps and in turn, increase the download rate.
Apple has yet to comment on the possibility of hitting the 1 billion downloaded apps mark sooner than it sold 1 billion songs, but rest assured that the company’s hype machine will be in full swing as that time nears.
I guess this answers the previous posts question of why we should develop for the iPhone: The app store is an absolutely revolutionary distribution channel.
They should release a Windows version of the iPhone SDK. You have to own a Mac with OSX installed in order to develop an iPhone App. If they don’t cater to Windows folk, Android will kill them.
Since this model is now proven to work, seems like the next logical step would be the “iTunes Independent Musician Store”. Any musician could upload his/her stuff. Apple takes 30% or they distribute it free (perhaps with ads in the songs).
We could get rid of those pesky record labels who do nothing except take way, way more than a 30% cut yet add zero value.
Mark my words, music is the next frontier for getting rich. If you’ve already missed the AppStore gold rush, you should quit your day job and form a band so you are ready for this development. Be the first one in and you could be the next Tapulous. Consider — Tap Tap Revolution, first game for iPhone, has over a million downloads! Multiply that times the selling price and then by 70% to see what your cut might have been!
Yeah, so Apple (the people who bring you the App kill switch, and we will ban apps that compete with our own apps) can take the place of record labels? No thanks. I will take Trent Reznor’s way of doing things instead.
Don’t give Apple that much power over creative. They are a company no matter what.
Just amazing how far the iPhone had come. and still has a long way to go.
What’s really interesting is that its pretty much a pure software experience and finally Apple can exploit its best advantage and asset- Software.
I download more apps than music on my iPhone because it usually *doesn’t allow* me to download music — it requires you to be connected to a local wireless network for that. but you can download apps from anywhere with cell service.
but for sales from the store (not only on the phone), it’s surprising that there are so many app d/ls.
It would be interesting to find out how they count downloads. Do repeat downloads count? Do upgrade downloads count? If upgrades count, then I alone am responsible for hundreds of app downloads.
Ditto, I think I’m responsible for at least 400 of those download via crashes/restores (new profile, never restore from old profile, its buggy)
Can’t a significant amount of downloads be explained by application updates and the many re-downloads a large group of users had to do because of restores or backups? When I count everything, I have probably downloaded each of the apps I currently use at least five times.
Furthermore, many apps are free. Until we get more detailed stats, I can imagine that the ‘actual’ number of downloads as in unique, and perhaps paid apps is much lower.
Still impressive though, just nitpicking…
Like Hilko said, it’s because they’re free
your sign in the background is too small to read - make it bigger, so people will be sure to visit Mixergy.com
That’s true… I know a friend who went to download some free apps despite not having an iPhone or iPod Touch - just for the fun of it.
This is comparing apples to oranges. Republish the article when Apple downloads the 1 billionth PAID application. Basic economics would show that free apps will download at a much faster clip than songs that cost $0.99.
Let’s see. Maybe there will be 20 million iPhones/Touches soon. To get to a billion app downloads, each user will have to download 50 apps. Are there really 50 apps worth installing and do people really want 50 different apps on their phones?
You’re a MILF.
No - Loren is like 40…so that MILF would be like 65, which is getting into the freaky, weird zone now
I’m counting … 81. I have that many and probably use over 50% of them each week.
16 apps per page (screen) times 8 more pages is 128 different apps. Can we have more than 8 extra screen/pages on an Iphone ? Yes people want 50 or more different apps on their Iphones.
That’s great except that downloading apps from the AppStore currently seems to be broken
Can we please file this under obvious?
“Hey everybody, iTunes is more popular now. People download shit more than they did when it first came out. OMG!”
It’s sunday.
Not sure if the world has seen anything more viral than an Apple…
Other people probably realized this, but is that paid for apps? Anyone is willing to download free apps. People tend to be more careful downloading when it costs money.
BINGO!
> users have now downloaded over 100 million apps
You mean there have been over 100 million app downloads, right? As much an Apple fan boy as I am, I don’t believe there are 100 million apps.
i think this stoty is shit
it is crazy ,but can not happen in china ,hoho
might be faster but less profitable
love iphone
http://cashtutor.blogspot.com
The more apps you download the more dependent you become on the iPhone. There’s a domino effect. you buy/download apps, you buy more apps, you buy more music, more tv shows, more movies, etc. making iTunes/iPod/iPhone/ Mac the center of your life.
@华芳 is cute.
It does not surprise me. It was bound to happen one day or the other.
I wonder how much of these can be really monetized by the App Developers.
that is very good feature on phone, good job
Were free songs available iTunes?? Im sure free songs were not so good to listen to.. Free app is the key, and so is gps which is again free.
It’s not even a comparison when you have a significant chunk of free items. Music offers 2-3 free tracks a week max. There’s 2-3 new free apps per day on iPhone. And bands don’t even have the option of offering songs free without iTunes staff approving.
Good or bad? I don’t know.
Wow I cant believe that people are so interested in iphone apps like that. But I guess if you are featured on Itunes its bound to happen because of all that traffic. This makes me really really want to get an itune. It looks like there are a bunch of blogging apps also!
And to think of it they don’t even have 10% of the worlds songs in their library
I can’t understand what 70 million downloads you are talking about.
Let’s quote accurately Apple press-releases and announcements.
1. On July 14th there were 10 million downloads total - see the following Apple press-release for reference
http://www.apple.com/pr/librar.....store.html
2. On August 11th there were 60 million downloads total - Steve Jobs’ speech
http://www.engadget.com/2008/0.....ll-switch/
3. On September 9th there were 100 million downloads total - see Apple News for that number
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/
From that it is seen that the sales rate is going down. In the first thirty days there were 60 million downloads, in the next thirty days - only 40.
Most of us just download without owing the iPhone. Just to play and fiddle around with them
1 billion *total* app downloads happening faster than music is one thing; 1 billion paid-for app downloads is another.
The reason the app store has seen such enormous traffic is because so many of them are free, and there’s no reason for every single user not to experiment with 50, or even 100, from the top 100 list.
If we’re talking about paid downloads only, that’s something very different. And far more interesting, since most apps cost more than the $0.99/79p that songs cost.
i think this stoty is shit
Keep in mind this is also due to the fact that the App Store is available in a wider variety of countries, contrary to the Music Store.
So, you basically pulled this non story out of your ass. It pretty absurd that you would even publish the link bait story.
No doubt trying to recreate the last frenzy when the mainstream press picked up the bullshit extrapolated numbers techcruch published regarding sales of iPhone.
I’m not sure that extrapolation theory is correct for reaching the 1billion mark for apps. While it seems there is a constant amount of new music I want to add to my collection, after an initial burst of about 10 apps I rarely add one now.
While more devices rolling out in more countries will help feed the numbers it won’t do so any faster for apps than music I predict.
Yeah, what’s the point in comparing mostly free downloads (apps) with mostly pay-for downloads (songs)?
Please don’t crash the party!
Wow, the rich get richer and the poor…. Well, you know.
Jiff
http://www.privacy.cz.tc
Apple Inc, making more money every day.
I imagine that the average application downloaded is cheaper than the average song.
wow. not surprised that the iPhone is succeeding at everything except being a phone. I have one - and it’s the crappiest phone I’ve ever owned. Awesome at sms, web and email - crap phone. Can’t hear the damn thing ring even on the highest volume. Just crashed 10 minutes ago when I was on a call (2.1 software) and wouldn’t comeback for about 5 minutes.
I’ve owned tons of apple gear and this thing is half a turd. After 2.1 upgrade, exisiting apps that didn’t crash now do or won’t even start.
Weird. Maybe you have a faulty device. Try exchanging it for a new one. 2.1 has been the best thing for me. Backups are 100 times faster, and apps install 10 times faster.
at this rate, desktops and laptops will soon become obsolete! any stats for web-apps?
To hit the 1 billion in shorter time than iTunes is logical to happen, there are free applications but no free songs.
IN OTHER NEWS: Survey Reveals That People Prefer Getting Stuff for Free than Paying for it.
Did they count re-downloads because of apps updates or crashes? I doubt that. I guess the numbers must be closely the same.
P.S. Go to Pikaba.com and try to win a free iPhone 3g if you still don’t have one: http://www.pikaba.com/c/ContestRules.aspx?m