Over 300m apps sold on the iPhone App Store

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 06 December 2008 12:48

IT Industry - Market

Although third party software has been available to download for various smartphones for the last several years, Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch have set off a true mobile software revolution, that sees Apple celebrating 300m free and paid apps "sold" through the App Store - in less than 6 months!

CRN says that Apple has taken advertisements in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to boast that over 300 million apps have been downloaded via the App Store.

Although a good portion of those apps are free, each is still issued with an iTunes store receipt, as anyone who has used the system knows.

As CRN points out this equates to around 60 million downloads per month, which is a pretty staggering figure.

Indeed, I'd love to know how this compares with downloads via Handango for Windows Mobile devices, downloads through Nokia's S60 "Download App" on every N-Series device, and downloads for other devices (such as Java, Brew and other mobile apps).

Something tells me Apple is blowing those other platforms away in innovative software and actual downloads. It has spurred Nokia to create a site called “CallingAllInnovators.com” with prizes of up to US $35,000 to be won.

But Apple has not needed to tempt with such a program, developers have flocked to it freely and openly – and that’s despite Apple’s limitations that prevent whole classes of software, like browsers, and software capabilities.

Of course there’s now the Android platform too for developers to consider. There has never been more opportunity for developers to create mobile apps, and now that Nokia has the 5800 XpressMusic Tube phone and the upcoming N97, both with nice, large touch screens, we’ll probably see Nokia get a lot more developer love.

That’s not to say there’s been no activity on the S60, Windows Mobile and other platforms – please read on to page 2!