Apple Announces 40 Billion App Store Downloads; 20 Billion In 2012 Alone

Apple has just announced that over 40 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store since it was launched in 2008. Apple has also revealed that nearly 20 billion were downloaded in 2012 alone.

Apple’s App Store had crossed the milestone of 25 billions apps downloaded on March 5th, 2012.

Apple has issued the following press release:

Read More

iOS 6 to Get Redesigned iTunes Store, App Store And iBookstore

As we get closer to the WWDC 2012 Keynote, where Apple is widely expected to give us a preview of iOS 6, more details about the upcoming major iOS software update seems to be leaking out.

So far we've heard that iOS 6 will include an all-new Maps app with an incredible 3D-mode and Facebook integration.

9to5Mac now reports that iOS 6 will also feature redesigned iTunes Store, App Store and iBookstore.

According to sources familiar with Apple’s upcoming iOS 6 mobile software offering, the company’s three major`digital stores will see design overhauls. The overhauls are said to be major and they focus on improved interactivity when making purchases in iTunes, the App Store, and the iBookstore. Social is a big piece of the store overhauls, and Facebook integration is being tested in the iTunes Store portion, at least.

But 9to5Mac also notes that the redesigned apps won't offer improved discoverability. You may remember that Apple had acquired Chomp - an app search engine earlier in the year. We were expecting Apple to use Chomp's technology to improve App Store search and recommendations. But according to 9to5Mac's source, it may not happen in iOS 6, which would be a pity as discoverability of apps is quite a pain with more than 600,000 apps in the App Store.

Read More

Apple Announces 25 Billionth App Downloaded And Winner of $10,000 iTunes Gift Card

Apple has finally announced the 25th billionth app downloaded and winner of the ’25 Billion App Countdown’ promotion who gets $10,000 iTunes gift card.

Apple has issued the following press release:

The 25 billionth app downloaded, Where's My Water? Free, was downloaded by Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China. As the winner of the App Store Countdown to 25 Billion Apps, Chunli Fu will receive a $10,000 iTunes® Gift Card.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”

Hat tip to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple

Read More