The iOS app store is marking its 15th anniversary. A milestone in the history of Apple itself, but not only, since the App Store ended up also becoming a reference for the industry. It is the great engine of a market that has grown in size and which today has an indispensable offer in the daily lives of almost everyone. Who doesn't use at least one app to do anything? There will certainly be those who don't use it, but they will be less and less.
A Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), started by not believing in a partnership model, with apps developed by third parties for the universe iOS, but quickly changed his mind, still under the command of Steve Jobs. The change in strategy quickly proved correct. The App Store helped bring out the best in the iPhone, thanks to the creativity of developers who joined the Apple ecosystem. The iPhone paved the way for a digital services format that would become indispensable, above all for its convenience.
Fifteen years later, the App Store remains the top-grossing mobile app ecosystem. It is one of the main pillars of Apple's revenue, but it also has an important impact on the brands and programmers that develop and sell in that ecosystem.
BUT: Apple will remove outdated apps from the App Store
On the occasion of the anniversary, Apple commissioned a study that accounts for the value generated by the App Store, and which has now also been worked on by Statista, who have created an infographic. The graph summarizes the main numbers of what has become one of Apple's main golden chickens.
Last year alone, the App Store opened the way to partner revenues of US$1,1 billion, a figure that more than doubles what was reported for 2019. A large portion of this revenue is associated with the sale of physical goods and services through of iOS apps, which account for 81% of the revenue facilitated by the iOS ecosystem. By sectors, generic retail stands out the most. Ordering food is also increasingly important in this universe, where USD 10 billion in digital payments have been generated.
The Apple study also shows that in the last 15 years, 370 billion apps have been downloaded from the store, allowing programmers to earn more than 320 billion dollars with that business.
Apple will launch the Reality Pro early next year, the headset that marks the company's entry into the world of augmented reality. The application development kit is now available. Will the feat be repeated and will Apple be able to once again set the pace for the industry, in terms of content for this type of system?
