Apple says developers earned $20bn from the App Store in 2016

5 Jan 2017

Apple says developers earned $20bn from the App Store in 2016. Image: I AM NIKOM/Shutterstock

Apple has claimed that in 2016 alone, app developers earned $20bn from the App Store – that’s one-third of all revenues made by developers since the store launched in 2008.

Apple said that 1 January 2017 was the busiest day in the App Store’s history to date, with $240m in purchases made in those 24 hours.

Throughout the month of December, customers spent $3bn on app downloads.

During the same month, Nintendo’s Super Mario Run made history with more than 40m downloads in just four days of its release. This also made it one of the top 10 most downloaded games of 2016.

‘2016 was a record-shattering year for the App Store, generating $20bn for developers’
– PHIL SCHILLER

The top gaming app of 2016 was Pokémon Go from Niantic.

Prisma, Reigns, Procreate, Lumino City, Sweat With Kayla and Djay Pro, from some of Apple’s independent developers, were among the most successful apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Mac, respectively.

The App Store now offers 2.2m apps in total, up more than 20pc from last year.

Capabilities of apps are evolving

Apple said that the capabilities available to developers are evolving, thanks to the introduction of iMessage apps and SiriKit in iOS 10.

The company said that there are now more than 21,000 iMessage apps and for the first time, users can ask Siri to book tickets, make payments and return calls.

Apple said that the launch of subscriptions across 25 app categories has contributed $2.7bn to App Store revenues, up 75pc on 2015.

“2016 was a record-shattering year for the App Store, generating $20bn for developers, and 2017 is off to a great start with January 1 as the single biggest day ever on the App Store,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing.

“We want to thank our entire developer community for the many innovative apps they have created, which together with our products, help to truly enrich people’s lives.”

Apple’s App Store on iPad. Image:  I AM NIKOM/Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com