UPDATED: Apple disputes App Annie report on App Store growth

Apple is challenging a new report from app analytics firm App Annie that contends the computing giant's App Store increased revenues just 12.9 percent in 2012 and that revenues contracted 0.7 percent in October. Hours after VentureBeat reported on the data, Apple contacted the publication to dispute the App Annie findings, noting that its first quarter 2012 earnings report announced cumulative App Store developer payouts of $4 billion; at its iPad mini launch event on Oct. 23, the company reported developer payouts of $6.5 billion. (Apple awards iOS developers 70 percent of revenues.)

"Since in October 2010 Apple had announced $3 billion in payouts, it must at that point have sold $4.3 billion in apps," VentureBeat states. "And since the company ended 2011 with $5.7 billion in sales, 2011 must have seen at about $1.4 billion in sales, but likely a little less (November and December 2010 are also in that figure, but so is January 2011). In any case, contrast that $1.4 billion in 2011 with the $3.6 billion in just eight months of 2012, and you've easily got doubling--probably well over 200 percent growth." Article

UPDATED NOV. 30: App Annie has responded to the VentureBeat article to clarify its data and demonstrate how its findings are in fact consistent with Apple's own earnings announcements. After speaking to App Annie, VentureBeat additionally published its own update, stating "Apple and App Annie are looking at the numbers from two different perspectives. Apple's numbers are based on a historical perspective: growth from year to year to year... App Annie's numbers--and specifically the 12.9 percent--were based on 2012 data only: growth of App Store revenue from January to October." App Annie CEO Bertrand Schmit added "iOS's October 2012 monthly revenues were 12.9 percent higher than their monthly revenues in January 2012."