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Apple hits 10 billion App Store downloads [U]

updated 11:25 am EST, Sat January 22, 2011

Apple reaches 10 billion app mark

(Update: winner named) Apple overnight said it had reached 10 billion downloads on the App Store. The milestone came just over a week after the countdown began and saw Apple accumulate about 250 million downloads in just the past week. The company hasn't yet said who has won the $10,000 iTunes gift card offered for the download or the free contest entry.

The App Store's growth rate has been accelerating ever since it was launched in July 2008 and has so far made it the most popular mobile app portal on any platform. Apple took nine months to reach its first billion but managed to double that figure just five months later. It reached three billion slightly over three months later and was at seven billion by October of last year.

The diversity of the store and the variety of the devices have been credited for the increasing growth. Apple started with just 500 apps but now has over 300,000, at least twice as many as Android Market. Unlike the Google portal, it has over 35,000 apps specifically optimized for tablets. A strong contingent of MP3 player users is also a factor, as iPod touch owners can buy apps without needing a cellular subscription.

Most competing stores don't publish their lifetime app store download counts but either started later or don't have very large app stores. BlackBerry App World, for example, reached 15,000 apps.

Update: the 10 billionth download was for Paper Glider (free, App Store), a take on the classic Mac game Glider. Gail Davis of Orpington in Kent, UK won the iTunes card.


By Electronista Staff


    Comment buried. Show
  1. write_thesis


    Joined: Jan 2011


    comment title

    cool nice one, this is so informative

  1. Feathers

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Oct 1999



    How on earth can you spend $10,000 on iTunes? Wouldn't $10,000 that you can spend at the AppleStore be a lot more realistic. Anyone who has got a gift voucher at Christmas will know how difficult it can be sometimes to spend as little as $100 in a single place!

  1. Cronocide

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2010


    With $10,000 on iTunes...

    You could download another billion apps!

  1. Fast iBook

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2003


    It wouldn't let me....

    It wouldn't let me fill out the form.

    Compensation please? :

    - A

  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001



    Why in the world would anyone want a $10,000 itunes gift card? How long would it take to find enough music, movies, apps, etc to use it all?

    Apple, stop being cheap! You should have given them a $10,000 Apple Store gift card (or $5000 each). Then they could have gotten some hardware to play all that c*** on.

  1. brainiac

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2003


    Yeah, like the others are saying

    You are cheap and nobody wants that silly prize.

    (but since they don't want it you could give it to me)

  1. facebook_Sam

    Via Facebook

    Joined: Feb 2011


    Incredible numbers!

    Incredible number of downloads. 3 billion more downloads that people alive today! We actually know the guy whose App was the 10 billionth –

Login Here



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