$30 Million in App Store Sales in One Month, Confirms Kill Switch

[Nonnus3G]

it may have been up for the public for one month but it was scheduled with lots of advance, no reason for low resources for so long...

one month is not long time in public perspective but it is really long when a developer is waiting that much just to have his account fully set up

but not everything is bad news, really:

those millions seem to have paid off !

after more than a week without any reply to my requests
today i already received 3 replies from them

(i should have started to complain over here earlier, so it seems

 

[inkswamp]

You have to compare it to other games on other mobile platforms.

There were a million downloads for Guitar Hero 3 on Verizon phones --- which costs $12.

Ah, thank you for that. I was looking for comparable stats for phones, but had no luck. Still, that's a good show for Super Monkey Ball (a considerably less popular title than Guitar Hero) to have sold 300K in that period of time. I wonder if it will reach the 1M mark too.

Steve Ballmer just crapped himself

I love the irony here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5oGaZIKYvo

Look, I'm no fan of Steve Ballmer, but for god's sake, the man was right about the iPhone at the time he made the comments. I don't know why Mac fans insist on deriding the man when he was criticizing the exorbitant cost which Apple, in case you forget, addressed a mere month after the iPhone's launch. I think Ballmer could have spared us the snarky tone when he said it and probably should have the smarts to know that Apple would have a few surprises up their sleeve, but Apple more or less confirmed his criticism by knocking the iPhone's price down unexpectedly soon after its launch. Do you think the iPhone would have been as successful as it is today at its original price? I agree with Steve Ballmer in seriously doubting it.

Don't get me wrong. There are a million reasons to mock Steve Ballmer (*cough* botched Yahoo takeover *cough*) but his opinion that the iPhone's initial price was too high was dead-on. Get over it already.

 

[glennyboiwpg]

Ah, thank you for that. I was looking for comparable stats for phones, but had no luck. Still, that's a good show for Super Monkey Ball (a considerably less popular title than Guitar Hero) to have sold 300K in that period of time. I wonder if it will reach the 1M mark too.



Look, I'm no fan of Steve Ballmer, but for god's sake, the man was right about the iPhone at the time he made the comments. I don't know why Mac fans insist on deriding the man when he was criticizing the exorbitant cost which Apple, in case you forget, addressed a mere month after the iPhone's launch. I think Ballmer could have spared us the snarky tone when he said it and probably should have the smarts to know that Apple would have a few surprises up their sleeve, but Apple more or less confirmed his criticism by knocking the iPhone's price down unexpectedly soon after its launch. Do you think the iPhone would have been as successful as it is today at its original price? I agree with Steve Ballmer in seriously doubting it.

Don't get me wrong. There are a million reasons to mock Steve Ballmer (*cough* botched Yahoo takeover *cough*) but his opinion that the iPhone's initial price was too high was dead-on. Get over it already.

I have watched that interview clip and I think the reason why people LOVE to comment negitivly on that clip isn't so much that Steve said "oh this is a really expensive phone" its the "This phone is a piece of garbage and it will never sell in a million years... apple sucks"

He didn't say those words but his body language and tone of voice SCREAMED that message.


And he was completely wrong. yes apple lowered the price... big deal, but the iphone will be more successful then steve B ever feared.

 

[inkswamp]

I have watched that interview clip and I think the reason why people LOVE to comment negitivly on that clip isn't so much that Steve said "oh this is a really expensive phone" its the "This phone is a piece of garbage and it will never sell in a million years... apple sucks"

He didn't say those words but his body language and tone of voice SCREAMED that message.

Oh come on. That's on the same level as those people who criticize Steve Jobs as pretentious and elitist because of the way he wears the black turtlenecks and has a black stage and the way he talks. You're reading way too much into something simple and potentially meaningless.

And he was completely wrong. yes apple lowered the price... big deal, but the iphone will be more successful then steve B ever feared.

He was not wrong at the time he made those comments which was shortly after the iPhone was announced at MacWorld 2007. He said the phone was too expensive. I don't get why people keep moving the goal posts. At the time Ballmer made the comments, Apple had set the iPhone's price way above what consumers were willing to pay. Many people here and on other discussion forums were expressing that same doubt about the high price and Apple's initial sales fell under what analysts were expecting. The fact that Apple lowered the price only a month after the launch pretty much confirms that the price was too high (unless you think angering early buyers and refunding part of the difference was part of Apple's launch plan.)

 

[ariza910]

Clearly, the iPhone represents a new REVOLUTION. The shame is that it does NOT allow to do what many other Windows-based smart phones have been doing for YEARS now:

http://www.impatica.com/showmate

Hopefully, in the next revision... Meanwhile we will wait or just switch to Windows. Sadly.

So by REVOLUTION you mean output video over bluetooth to a dongle connected to a projector - why in the world would I want that??

Do you have this device? No way a WiMo phone is able to send quality video over bluetooth to a projector and have it look anywhere near decent when projected on a wall.

It really doesnt matter because you can already present powerpoint/keynote presentations from an iPhone.

Export your presentation as JPG slides to your iPhone (Keynote has a export to iPod/iPhone setting). Save the presentation as a picture sideshow on your phone. Then use the Apple composite AV cable to hook up your iPhone to a projector. Pretty easy.

 

[slackpacker]

I think I accounted for at least $250 of that number... I even bought Pennies to keep track of my wild spending habit.

 

[twoodcc]

wow, those numbers are crazy! i've got to start making iphone apps!

 

[scottinsac]

I don't get it

I don't understand. In a country where people are perfectly willing to spend $4 on a cup of coffee, and $2 for a bottle of water, why on earth would they think that $3, $5, or $10 in an unreasonable price for a piece of software? I bought Super Monkey Ball the day the app store launched, and I have gotten WAY more than $10 worth of entertainment value out of it.

 

[glennyboiwpg]

Oh come on. That's on the same level as those people who criticize Steve Jobs as pretentious and elitist because of the way he wears the black turtlenecks and has a black stage and the way he talks. You're reading way too much into something simple and potentially meaningless.



He was not wrong at the time he made those comments which was shortly after the iPhone was announced at MacWorld 2007. He said the phone was too expensive. I don't get why people keep moving the goal posts. At the time Ballmer made the comments, Apple had set the iPhone's price way above what consumers were willing to pay. Many people here and on other discussion forums were expressing that same doubt about the high price and Apple's initial sales fell under what analysts were expecting. The fact that Apple lowered the price only a month after the launch pretty much confirms that the price was too high (unless you think angering early buyers and refunding part of the difference was part of Apple's launch plan.)

hmmm ok.. well so you just wrote off my arguement without providing something to combat it... (steve job's turtle neck doesn't implicitly say, "windows is SO going to bomb". Yeah steve jobs is arrogant but I think that stems from his fude with bill gates decades ago, baller just thinks that apple is a one hit wonder (ipod) and will never amount to anything)

And then you just reiterate your argument without add any more logic to it.

Kinda hard to have a meaningful debate under that pretense.

 

[.:R2theT]

Oh come on. That's on the same level as those people who criticize Steve Jobs as pretentious and elitist because of the way he wears the black turtlenecks and has a black stage and the way he talks. You're reading way too much into something simple and potentially meaningless.



He was not wrong at the time he made those comments which was shortly after the iPhone was announced at MacWorld 2007. He said the phone was too expensive. I don't get why people keep moving the goal posts. At the time Ballmer made the comments, Apple had set the iPhone's price way above what consumers were willing to pay. Many people here and on other discussion forums were expressing that same doubt about the high price and Apple's initial sales fell under what analysts were expecting. The fact that Apple lowered the price only a month after the launch pretty much confirms that the price was too high (unless you think angering early buyers and refunding part of the difference was part of Apple's launch plan.)

I agree that we should only comment on what Ballmer actually said and not what he probably meant.

So if we do that Ballmer still looks like an douche(and when doesn't he?). He states, "We are selling millions and millions and millions of phones a year, Apple is selling zero. In 6 months they'll have the most expensive phone ever, by far, in the market place. Uh, let's see. Let's see how the competition goes.""You can get a Motorola Q phone for $99. It's a a very capable machine. It'll do music. It'll do email, it'll do internet. It'll do instant messaging. So I kind of look at that and I say...well, I like our strategy. I like it a lot!"

So gee, does he still like their strategy? Seems like just last week I read that MS is going try a more top-to-bottom(front-to-back, whatever) approach to their business. And gee, is it a year later and Apple has millions and millions and millions of phones being sold?

I do agree that Apple flubbed with the initial price of the original iPhone but Ballmer is a dink and douche, especially when he talks about Apple. He should just keep his mouth shut or say Apple makes great products, one of the world's top operating systems and we are happy to partner with them on several fronts.

 

[IJ Reilly]

He was not wrong at the time he made those comments which was shortly after the iPhone was announced at MacWorld 2007. He said the phone was too expensive. I don't get why people keep moving the goal posts. At the time Ballmer made the comments, Apple had set the iPhone's price way above what consumers were willing to pay. Many people here and on other discussion forums were expressing that same doubt about the high price and Apple's initial sales fell under what analysts were expecting. The fact that Apple lowered the price only a month after the launch pretty much confirms that the price was too high (unless you think angering early buyers and refunding part of the difference was part of Apple's launch plan.)

Actually he was wrong. As was widely discussed at the time the iPhone was released, it was not the most expensive phone on the market, and he also claimed that because it had no (physical) keyboard that it wasn't suitable for the business market. So he was wrong twice, not just then but now. And obviously Apple had no problem selling the iPhone at $499 and $399 -- people lined up for them, and they flew off the shelves at that price. All Ballmer can muster up in Microsoft's defense is empty corporate-speak about "having the right strategy." Well I guess as long as you say you have the "right strategy" and think you do, you must.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

I don't understand. In a country where people are perfectly willing to spend $4 on a cup of coffee, and $2 for a bottle of water, why on earth would they think that $3, $5, or $10 in an unreasonable price for a piece of software? I bought Super Monkey Ball the day the app store launched, and I have gotten WAY more than $10 worth of entertainment value out of it.

I don't spend $4 on a cup of coffee, I don't spend $2 for a bottle of water and I think $10 is unreasonable for a game for a phone. And the people who think so will say so, the people who don't will simply buy the app. I was going to buy Tetris until I saw it was $10 and that stopped me in my tracks. I have bought one $10 app and it wasn't a game. Everything else on my phone is either $5 or free and I have gotten about $5 worth of enjoyment from the paid apps. The exception has been the free apps where I have gotten more value than I paid for them.

I don't understand people who don't understand people who don't want to pay $10 for a game.

 

[.:R2theT]

I don't spend $4 on a cup of coffee, I don't spend $2 for a bottle of water and I think $10 is unreasonable for a game for a phone. And the people who think so will say so, the people who don't will simply buy the app. I was going to buy Tetris until I saw it was $10 and that stopped me in my tracks. I have bought one $10 app and it wasn't a game. Everything else on my phone is either $5 or free and I have gotten about $5 worth of enjoyment from the paid apps. The exception has been the free apps where I have gotten more value than I paid for them.

I don't understand people who don't understand people who don't want to pay $10 for a game.

Your frugality is inspiring.

My point has been to those who don't want to pay for the apps. and say they aren't worth it. There is a difference between not wanting to spend the money and something not being of value. I personally think most $4 coffees are worth it, at least from the places I might go. But I choose not to purchase those $4 coffees. Not because I don't see the value but because I choose to spend my money elsewhere. Choices, choices, choices!

I think most all of the apps. have been fairly priced. Some have not and they probably have not had the success that some of these others have had. Ultimately the market will bear these things out. And ultimately Apple is the one who will reap the huge profits by selling a billion iPhones/iPod Touches!

 

[sushi]

I don't understand. In a country where people are perfectly willing to spend $4 on a cup of coffee, and $2 for a bottle of water, why on earth would they think that $3, $5, or $10 in an unreasonable price for a piece of software? I bought Super Monkey Ball the day the app store launched, and I have gotten WAY more than $10 worth of entertainment value out of it.

Interesting perspective.

I don't spend $4 on a cup of coffee, I don't spend $2 for a bottle of water and I think $10 is unreasonable for a game for a phone. And the people who think so will say so, the people who don't will simply buy the app. I was going to buy Tetris until I saw it was $10 and that stopped me in my tracks. I have bought one $10 app and it wasn't a game. Everything else on my phone is either $5 or free and I have gotten about $5 worth of enjoyment from the paid apps. The exception has been the free apps where I have gotten more value than I paid for them.

I don't understand people who don't understand people who don't want to pay $10 for a game.

Another interesting perspective.

I would say both are somewhat at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Personally, I have purchased items that help improve my productivity such as OmniFocus -- both iPhone and desktop versions for syncing. I've also purchased a few 99 cent items for fun, and for the most part have enjoyed them. And yes, I've purchased some more expensive apps. Just a few.

Each time I purchase anything, be it hardware, software, food, drink, etc., I ask myself what is the value to me. That is what is important to any customer. Obviously, Super Monkey Ball is at a price that consumers are willing to pay. However, I am sure some individuals believe that SMB at $10 is too expensive. It's obviously an individual decision.

 

[Marx55]

So by REVOLUTION you mean output video over bluetooth to a dongle connected to a projector - why in the world would I want that??

No, I did not mean that. I meant revolution by all the iPhone means.

Do you have this device? No way a WiMo phone is able to send quality video over bluetooth to a projector and have it look anywhere near decent when projected on a wall.

Yes, you can. See my previous posts on this thread. But only with smartphones and PDAs with Windows so far.

It really doesnt matter because you can already present powerpoint/keynote presentations from an iPhone.
Export your presentation as JPG slides to your iPhone (Keynote has a export to iPod/iPhone setting). Save the presentation as a picture sideshow on your phone. Then use the Apple composite AV cable to hook up your iPhone to a projector. Pretty easy.

Yes, I know. But we need full blown NATIVE presentations including transitions, animations and video. On the other hand, saving it as a movie stream is no good either, since you cannot control it as with a true native original Keynote or PowerPoint file.

 

[seashellz]

WOW. APPLE is really kicking ass and taking no prisoners these days-and its only likely to get better-lets hope they dont leave us-the faithfull behind
reading that APPLE was growing while others were shrinking was kind of surreal

 

[iMouse]

Clearly, the iPhone represents a new REVOLUTION. The shame is that it does NOT allow to do what many other Windows-based smart phones have been doing for YEARS now:

http://www.impatica.com/showmate

Hopefully, in the next revision... Meanwhile we will wait or just switch to Windows. Sadly.

Apple had something similar set up for their presentation of the iPhone announcement at the WWDC 2007. I'm sure this is possible through a special pin-out connector to VGA, DVI or composite/component.

Sadly, this isn't a Windows Mobile or Blackberry OS function. This is a special device with software designed to do this. It could be a possibility someday should Apple and Impatica work together to allow app/wireless dongle integration with the iPhone.

I've used one of these devices and don't really care for it since I typically have to locate and carry a heavy projector with me anyway. I might as well just take my 12" PowerBook with me as well. Works pretty well for a conference room where one may already have a projector set up.

 

[Dippo]

I could use some of that cash!

 

[ariza910]

Yes, I know. But we need full blown NATIVE presentations including transitions, animations and video. On the other hand, saving it as a movie stream is no good either, since you cannot control it as with a true native original Keynote or PowerPoint file.

We do?

I'm sorry but PC laptops can barely handle animations and video (I see them get choked up all the time) how well does a WiMo phone perform these functions when connected to a projector? is the image any good? who uses transitions anymore? and would you really trust a phone during a presentation?

Sorry i just don't understand the need to present a full blown PowerPoint with all the bells an whistles from a phone, especially if your job depends on it. At least with a laptop you have an excuse but if a presentation goes south with a phone then you're that guy that tried to be cool and present from a cell phone.

I agree with you that an OQO like device from Apple would be very cool but I don't know if it would be very useful. At that size the keyboard and screen are too small for serious work and its too big to fit in your pocket so you might as well go a little bigger to a thin sub-notebook with a 9" screen. Maybe its just me but at that point I would just go for the 13" Mac Book Air with full size keys and a nice screen.

 

[firewood]

I don't spend $4 on a cup of coffee, I don't spend $2 for a bottle of water and I think $10 is unreasonable for a game for a phone.

Fortunately, everybody isn't like you, or else Starbucks wouldn't be running over 10 billion in revenue, even during a bad year.

And the cheapskates on this forum don't represent the entire market, given that there are enough other consumers who will pay a lot more for the right software. Some smart app developers will cater to them and do quite well.

 

[firewood]

Does the iphone SDK work on Windows or Mac G5? if not, i think all of the potential developers and SDK enthusiats without the intel-mac would mean more sales of the new macs to come.

Think of how long it would take to pay for a refurb intel mini if you could sell a only a few hundred or so $0.99 apps per month. Smart developers can recognize a good investment.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I've used one of these devices and don't really care for it since I typically have to locate and carry a heavy projector with me anyway. I might as well just take my 12" PowerBook with me as well. Works pretty well for a conference room where one may already have a projector set up.

Check out the DLP projectors. Many are very small and light.

I'm hanging onto my 12" PowerBook for the same reason, but if I could do Keynote presentations off my iPod touch I'd be there in a New York minute.

 

[JosephKr]

Some numbers regarding phone sales

Just an interesting note: One of the fellows on today's edition of Fast Money on CNBC quipped that Apple has "already sold 3,000,000" 3G iPhones. That's since July 11, exactly one month. That works out to at least 9,000,000 phones for the quarter NOT COUNTING the pending 22 extra countries coming on line on August 22! That would be a minimum of 36,000,000 phones per year if the rate holds, again without those 22 other countries. See where this is going? Get your stock TODAY, because $174 is gonna look like a huge BARGAIN in a few weeks! You read it here first!
Aside from that, if the pace holds (no reason to think it will slow down at this point), then 2 things:
1.) 800K phones per week production rate will just barely satisfy demand.
2.) App downloads will far exceed expectations and the billion will be more likely by the end of the holiday quarter than a year from now.

 

[sushi]

Check out the DLP projectors. Many are very small and light.

I know that the gap is closing, but LCD projectors are still best for presentations.

There are some small and light LCD projectors such as the Panasonic PT-LB60U to consider.

Of course there are smaller DLP projectors out there. Just prefer LCD for presentations at this point in time.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

Fortunately, everybody isn't like you, or else Starbucks wouldn't be running over 10 billion in revenue, even during a bad year.

And the cheapskates on this forum don't represent the entire market, given that there are enough other consumers who will pay a lot more for the right software. Some smart app developers will cater to them and do quite well.

Fortunate is it now? I'm happy for Starbucks and iPhone app developers who, in my opinion, overcharge. I'm even happier for the consumer who finds satisfaction in overpaying. But the spendthrifts don't represent the entire market either.

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -- H. L. Mencken