[1]Apple announced that users have now downloaded close to a billion iPhone and iPod touch applications since the July 10, 2008 launch of its App Store virtual marketplace, introducing a counter on its website [2] to track the download total as it nears the benchmark. As of Monday morning at 9:30 am EST, users have downloaded close to 946 million applications. In late January, Apple celebrated [3] the 500 million App Store download mark.
In conjunction with the download counter, Apple also released lists of the top 20 most downloaded premium and free App Store titles. The premium countdown is heavy on games, including Bejeweled 2, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, Enigmo, Moto Chaser and Cro-Mag Rally. The free apps list is more diverse, spanning social networking (Facebook), travel (Google Earth), music (Shazam and Pandora Radio) and entertainment (Lightsaber Unleashed).
For more on the App Store download countdown:
- read this New York Times article [4]
- And check out this Slideshow of the top apps [1]
Related articles:
As the App Store [5] nears 30,000 applications, what's next?
Apple planning location-aware App Store [6]?
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/slideshow/top-paid-apple-app-store-applications
[2] http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/
[3] http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/app-store-tops-15-000-app-mark-800-android-market/2009-01-26
[4] http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/apples-app-store-nears-one-billion-served/?em
[5] http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/app-store-nears-30-000-applications-whats-next/2009-03-09
[6] http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/apple-planning-location-aware-app-store/2009-03-06