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AppStore passes 3 billion downloads

Published on 6th January 2010 by Joe Martin

Apple has announced that the AppStore has broken the 3 billion downloads barrier today. That's a lot.

Apple has today announced that the AppStore for iPod Touch and iPhone owners has managed to surpass 3 billion downloads now, with the popularity of the online store still increasing.

The AppStore, which hosts applications and games for iPhone users, was only launched in July 2008 and broke the 1 billion downloads barrier back in April 2009, but the success of the platform has only accelerated since then.

Apple boss Steve Jobs said that the continued popularity of the AppStore was unlike anything the company had ever seen and that he doubted any competitors would ever be able to catch up.

"The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod Touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon," he said in an official comment.

The main competitor he's probably referring to is Sony, who launched a new PSP model last year that allowed gamers to only access games from an online store. Sony poached many games and developers from Apple for their own store, with early iPhone success stories like Fieldrunners showing up on the PSPgo in no time at all.

There are plenty of great games on the AppStore still though, with current staff favourites including Hook Champ, Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and, embarrassingly, Surviving High School. Check out some of our other favourite iPhone games in our latest round-up.

Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

8 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

wuyanxu 6th January 2010, 12:47

i think Apple was gunning for this, trying to get it before CES and Google Nexus one.

they released a 12 days app, giving out free stuff every day. i am 100% sure without that offer, they'd never hit the 3 billion mark before CES and Nexus one announcement.

leveller 6th January 2010, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuyanxu
i think Apple was gunning for this, trying to get it before CES and Google Nexus one.

they released a 12 days app, giving out free stuff every day. i am 100% sure without that offer, they'd never hit the 3 billion mark.

Tell us how many downloads they had before offering that app.

Or tell us how many downloads the 12 days app accounted for.

gagaga 6th January 2010, 15:04

... and how many of these are repeat downloads from the 400 point releases each time they need to plug a hole in the OS? The numbers are pointless for free downloads .. how many paid?

Farting Bob 6th January 2010, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuyanxu
i think Apple was gunning for this, trying to get it before CES and Google Nexus one.

they released a 12 days app, giving out free stuff every day. i am 100% sure without that offer, they'd never hit the 3 billion mark.

Unless they planned to shut down the app store immediately, im fairly comfortable they would have reached 3 billion at some point in the future...

LJF 6th January 2010, 16:28

Wouldn't the competitor he's referring to be Google Android's App Market rather than Sony? (I only question it as there's nothing in your quote that relates directly to games.)

... and if that is the case, then I see them catching up sooner than Jobs cares to admit.

perplekks45 6th January 2010, 18:37

Well, Android's App Market may not be as shiny and nice as Apple's App Store and the latter has a major advantage when it comes down to sheer number of offerings but there is one thing that makes Android superior to the iPhone's/iTouch's OSX Lite: No need to jailbreak your phone to install non-Market apps.

Thanks, Google. Steve-O... calm down, you haven't reached God status. And the iPhone ain't our messiah. :|

Still, congratulations on the amazing success story the App Store is. I just hate Apple for always exaggerating things.

H2O 6th January 2010, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by gagaga
... and how many of these are repeat downloads from the 400 point releases each time they need to plug a hole in the OS? The numbers are pointless for free downloads .. how many paid?

The repeat downloads don't count towards the total.

Ta10n 7th January 2010, 13:15

WHAT 9000!?!?!