App Store Passes Two Billion Downloads

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 28, 2009

Apple just announced that the two billion mark has been passed for downloads of programs from the iTunes App Store. More remarkably, the rate of downloads “continues to accelerate,” says Steve Jobs in the press release. He says that there have been more than half a billion downloads this quarter alone.

Also, the company bumped up the number of apps available to 85,000, and the number of developers in the iPhone developer program. Note that there are still more developers intending to write Apps than have done so. Unless that 125,000 includes lots of people who are just kicking tires or for some reason are unlikely to ever create an app, it’s hard to take too seriously all the complaints about the App Store being unfriendly to developers. Or maybe it’s just that there’s no other mobile app marketplace with the scale and momentum to make a business selling cheap or even free programs.

Either way, it’s good news for Apple.

Here’s the full release.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today announced that more than two billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store, the largest applications store in the world. There are now more than 85,000 apps available to the more than 50 million iPhone(TM) and iPod touch® customers worldwide and over 125,000 developers in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program.

“The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it.”

Today, iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries worldwide can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. With the recently introduced iTunes® 9, it’s now easier than ever to organize and sync your apps right in iTunes and they will automatically appear on your iPhone or iPod touch with the same layout.

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