App Store: 10 billion downloads

The 10 billion mobile application downloads mark was crossed by Apple’s App Store this weekend.

We didn’t have to wait long to see the symbolic 10 billion downloads marks passed by the App Store, launched by Apple in July 2008. This occurred almost the day after the group announced their latest quarterly results, with record figures handed down thanks to the success of their mobile strategy.

This is an impressive result considering that the 5 billion downloads mark was broken in June 2010, with the portal now hosting more than 350 000 mobile applications (including 60 000 for the iPad tablet), proof that there is strong interest in the platform by developers despite the increase in competition from competing platforms.

If we discount GetJar, the second largest mobile applications portal behind Apple, the Android Market seems to also be witnessing impressive growth, helped by its diverse offerings and the increased number and diversification of available handsets.

As for the $10000 iTunes card offered to the ten-billionth download made on the App Store, this was won by a British national living in Orpington.