App Store downloads top 2 billion

Roughly five months after the App Store crossed the 1 billion iPhone and iPod touch application download threshold, Apple announced that downloads have now exceeded the 2 billion mark. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, consumers downloaded half a billion apps in the third quarter alone. Apple adds that there are now over 85,000 applications in the App Store and more than 125,000 developers in its iPhone Developer Program. More than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries are downloading applications in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

In a research report published Thursday, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimates the App Store currently generates between $60 million and $110 million in quarterly revenue for Apple--a tiny fraction of the computing giant's total Q3 revenues of $8.34 billion. Sacconaghi believes the App Store contributes between two cents and four cents a share in profit to Apple a quarter--minus the 30 percent cut Apple takes on App Store downloads, the analyst estimates that iPhone software developers currently generate between $140 million and $250 million a quarter.

For more on the latest App Store milestone:
- read this release

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