On Thursday July 10th, Apple celebrated their sixth anniversary of the App Store being life for individuals to be able to begin downloading applications for their iOS device. Many would be surprised to learn that this wasn’t always Apple’s plan.
Before 2008, most individuals made use of web applications or what iPhones already came shipped in to enjoy what their phones had to occur. Fast forward six years, and we are presented with an app store that features over 1.2 million applications and almost 75 billion downloads of applications. Did Apple make the right move in the end? We can bet that they would agree that they did.
The Milestones of the App Store
The App Store was officially announced on July 10th, the day before the release of the iPhone 3G. This was a milestone in iPhone design in that it was with a plastic backing, rather than the metal backing of the iPhone original. The second full iteration of iOS was also released around this time as well. In two years, the App Store has over a million downloads and a year after that, it had just as many apps and well over a billion downloads.
That was also a time when applications were more expensive. Now, the average price of an app is $0.99. However, back in 2011, it was over $3. Two years after the release of the iOS App Store, Apple learned that Mac users wanted a formal way to enjoy applications as well, instead of downloading them through Safari. A safe venue, known as the Mac App Store, was created to allow desktop and laptop users to have certified applications on their machines. By December of last year, revenues from the App Store were well into the billions, and 2014 projections are pointing the same way as well.
The Current State of the App Store
Apple released at their most recent WWDC a new programming language known as Swift. Influenced by not only Objective-C, but also other programming languages, Swift makes programming not only more approachable to new programmers, but also more intertwined with current trends in typing. For example, instead of depending on English terms and commands, Swift is more aware of other languages and even the ability to set emoticons in code. There is currently a rush for individuals to learn Swift, which is expected to result in more availability of applications and the advancement of current ones.
The Future of Apps on iPhone
In the past, the App Store was seen as an addition of uncertainty. Apple wasn’t sure if this was a decision that would result in sales or slumps. However, as proven by billions in sales and downloads, this was a smart move for Apple. What’s featured in commercials nowadays from Apple isn’t always just the capabilities of the camera or call features, but the applications that the iPhone can handle are what is centre in their marketing. Many point to the fact that the applications available on the App Store, and the quality control Apple performs on them, is what will result in the competitive edge against Google and other mobile giants.
Let us know in the comments below what your favourite iPhone application is. Mine is Facebook and Quora.
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