Apple Shares App Store Retrospective Ahead of 10th Anniversary

[MacRumors]

Ahead of the App Store's upcoming 10th anniversary on Tuesday, July 10, Apple today shared some App Store history, exploring significant App Store milestones and sharing testimonials from Apple execs, app developers, and more on how the App Store put mobile businesses first, transformed gaming, improved accessibility, bolstered health, revolutionized education, and changed lives.

The App Store launched on July 10, 2008 with a total of 500 apps, which Apple says ignited a "cultural, social, and economic phenomenon" that has, over the past decade, created a place for iOS users of all ages to get the best apps. From Phil Schiller, Apple marketing chief:

"In its first decade, the App Store has surpassed all of our wildest expectations -- from the innovative apps that developers have dreamed up, to the way customers have made apps part of their daily lives -- and this is just the beginning. We could not be more proud of what developers have created and what the next 10 years have in store."

Many of the apps available on the first day of the App Store's launch can still be purchased today, including MLB at Bat, The New York Times, eBay, Travelocity, Tap Tap Revenge, and more. Early App Store developers Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckynova, who created Temple Run, said the App Store changed their lives.

"The App Store and iPhone changed our lives. Our first game, Imangi, launched the day the App Store opened. Fast forward 10 years, and we've created over 10 games, including Temple Run, which has been downloaded over a BILLION times. Our studio has grown from the two of us to a team of 35. None of this would have been possible without the App Store."

Cutting edge technology, explains Apple, has allowed developers and start-ups to create apps that take advantage of Apple Pay, GPS, location services, and more to create "billion dollar businesses" that started with the App Store. Games, too, have become an important part of the App Store. Nintendo director Shigeru Miyamoto said the App Store allows the company to share Nintendo games with new audiences.

"We are very happy that we are able to deliver Super Mario Run, a new Super Mario experience that could be played with just one hand on iPhone, to hundreds of millions of consumers because of the App Store. The App Store allows us to share the joy of Nintendo games with many new audiences, and we will continue striving to provide unique and new game experiences to App Store customers."

Apple also changed gaming and apps with the in-app purchase, allowing people to unlock different functionality and try apps before purchasing. That expanded to subscription apps in 2011, and as of now, 28,000 apps offer subscription options.

The iPad came in 2010, along with apps designed for the larger screen. There are a total of 1.3 million apps created just for the iPad available today, ranging from Lightroom and Microsoft Office 365 to Procreate. Procreate founder James Cuda says the digital art creation app "simply would not be possible without the App Store."

ARKit and augmented reality apps came in 2017, turning iOS into the biggest AR platform in the world. There are more than 3,000 AR apps available on the App Store, and improvements coming in iOS 12, such as multi-person support and persistent experiences, will lead to even better AR apps.

As of June 2018, developers have earned more than $100 billion from the App Store. There are more than 20 million third-party developers registered for the App Store, and more than 500 million customers visit it on iPhone and iPad each week.

Apple in 2017 entirely overhauled the App Store, splitting games and apps into two categories and focusing more heavily on app discovery through Today tab stories, editor's picks, and more. Apple says that hundreds of Today stories have been read by more than 1 million people.

Check out Apple's full App Store tribute in the company's newsroom to see all of the different testimonials from app developers.

Article Link: Apple Shares App Store Retrospective Ahead of 10th Anniversary

 

[AronDraws]

I had an iPod Touch back then and I recall having to pay to enable the App store when it was released. I might see if I can dig up that old iPod touch when I get home tonight.

 

[e-coli]

I miss Apple's Texas Hold 'Em. That was a great game.

 

[fairuz]

Pretty awesome. Too bad in-app-purchases have since ruined the game category.

 

[snowboarder]

Apple gives developers a platform to sell apps. Charging 30%. Easy money.
Once that profit gets larger and larger, you start to think why to do anything else?
Why to develop new Mac hardware, lots of investment for very little return.
They just seem to forget you need a Mac to write those apps, right?

 

[69650]

I was using apps long before the iPhone/iPad on my Palm Pilot and Compaq iPaq.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

I had an iPod Touch back then and I recall having to pay to enable the App store when it was released. I might see if I can dig up that old iPod touch when I get home tonight.

haha you're right, the update was around 15 Euros if I recall correctly. Had both Super Monkey Ball and Crash Bandicoot. And the piano app that everyone had to showcase the iPod's multitouch feature. Burned through the 50€ gift card pretty quickly.

 

[Naraxus]

Cute bit of revisionist history on Apple's part. How soon they forget that their Lord & Savior Steve Jobs didn't want to open up the iPhone to custom apps and that it was only after the hacking community and specifically the Cydia store showed THEM the way that they decided to open it up to apps and take their scam 30% cut.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I was using apps long before the iPhone/iPad on my Palm Pilot and Compaq iPaq.

Lol dear lord apps on Palm OS (before 3Com or Palm Inc got greedy, changed the rules with many a facturar developers saying any new development must be submitted back to Pal. For unification and betterment of the platform?! Yeah Sony just stopped making devices ... platform does.

Just how does the App Store get to 10yrs when the iPhone just reached 10yrs and it took until iPhone 3G to get apps a full 1.5yrs after original iPhone.

 

[The Chosen One]

And now the wishlist back...

 

[Glockworkorange]

Pretty awesome. Too bad in-app-purchases have since ruined the game category.

Yeah. I recall paying $9.99 for Super Monkey Ball.

I would gladly, gladly, pay $10.00 or $20.00 for a quality game.
[doublepost=1530814541][/doublepost]

haha you're right, the update was around 15 Euros if I recall correctly. Had both Super Monkey Ball and Crash Bandicoot. And the piano app that everyone had to showcase the iPod's multitouch feature. Burned through the 50€ gift card pretty quickly.

Lol. $10.00 for an upgrade. What a different world!

https://appleinsider.com/articles/0...few_ipod_touch_users_updating_to_3_0_software
[doublepost=1530814598][/doublepost]Cro Mag Rally was a lot of fun. Also, 9,000 fart apps.

Cro Mag Rally still in the App Store

 

[Feenician]

Just how does the App Store get to 10yrs when the iPhone just reached 10yrs and it took until iPhone 3G to get apps a full 1.5yrs after original iPhone.

The App Store was launched in 11th July 2008. 10 years ago.

 

[developer13245]

It was great in the beginning. Now it's in a tail spin due to Apple's arrogance.

 

[TheDemogordon]

Many of the apps available on the first day of the App Store's launch can still be purchased today, including MLB at Bat, The New York Times, eBay, Travelocity, Tap Tap Revenge, and more.

Tap Tap Revenge? MacRumors don't do that to me. I had to check the App Store because you got my hopes up.

 

[fairuz]

Cute bit of revisionist history on Apple's part. How soon they forget that their Lord & Savior Steve Jobs didn't want to open up the iPhone to custom apps and that it was only after the hacking community and specifically the Cydia store showed THEM the way that they decided to open it up to apps and take their scam 30% cut.

I really don't think Cydia had anything to do with the creation of the App Store. Nor were any of the later features copied from the Cydia hacks except maybe Control Center. It was all obvious stuff they held off on making for whatever reason.

- longtime jailbreak user

 

[SeattleMoose]

I generally don't like "Nanny State" type of filters between myself and my freedom to do as I choose. But I have to say that in the case of the App Store, I LIKE that they try and make sure I'm not downloading malware, viruses, half-baked apps, etc.

 

[fairuz]

I generally don't like "Nanny State" type of filters between myself and my freedom to do as I choose. But I have to say that in the case of the App Store, I LIKE that they try and make sure I'm not downloading malware, viruses, half-baked apps, etc.

Yeah, and you can even sideload any app in from Xcode if you know what you're doing and really want to do it.

 

[linkinpark2206]

The phone on the first image kinda looks like an iPhone X Plus

 

[Small White Car]

Cute bit of revisionist history on Apple's part. How soon they forget that their Lord & Savior Steve Jobs didn't want to open up the iPhone to custom apps and that it was only after the hacking community and specifically the Cydia store showed THEM the way that they decided to open it up to apps and take their scam 30% cut.

This is an amazing story. You think that Apple conceived of, programmed, and released the App Store in well under a year?

The rest of us are over here assuming that’s impossible and that the app store must have been planned before the first iPhone even launched; that Apple’s programmers aren’t, in fact; magical.

But apparently they are?

You have any evidence for such a claim?

 

[now i see it]

and this is just the beginning. We could not be more proud of what developers have created and what the next 10 years have in store."

Wishful thinking. It's probably close to peak. Just as the world is reaching smartphone peak, so are app downloads. I honestly never visit the App Store anymore.

 

[jayducharme]

How soon they forget that their Lord & Savior Steve Jobs didn't want to open up the iPhone to custom apps

I think they did, actually. But they didn’t have all the pieces in place until 2008 ( only one year after the launch of the original iPhone). Their plan of having developers create web-only apps was a stopgap measure for a phone that didn’t have enough storage to hold much beyond Apple’s built-in apps. Ironically, that’s sometimes still the case.

What fascinates me most about the App Store is how typically Apple it is. There was nothing new about installing software on mobile devices. Palm and MS had been doing it for years. But Apple simplified the process for both users and developers.

 

[VictorTango777]

I really don't think Cydia had anything to do with the creation of the App Store. Nor were any of the later features copied from the Cydia hacks except maybe Control Center. It was all obvious stuff they held off on making for whatever reason.

- longtime jailbreak user

And yet in 2007 when Steve told developers that they would only be able to make web apps for the iPhone, Apple fans in Macworld and other forums were defending Steve for reasons such as "security", "quality".

 

[nwcs]

Now they just need a giveaway like they did with the billionth download, etc.

 

[VictorTango777]

I think they did, actually. But they didn’t have all the pieces in place until 2008 ( only one year after the launch of the original iPhone). Their plan of having developers create web-only apps was a stopgap measure for a phone that didn’t have enough storage to hold much beyond Apple’s built-in apps. Ironically, that’s sometimes still the case.

What fascinates me most about the App Store is how typically Apple it is. There was nothing new about installing software on mobile devices. Palm and MS had been doing it for years. But Apple simplified the process for both users and developers.

So if "everyone knew" what Apple really meant to do, then why all those arguments from people who were actually against letting third party developers make native iPhone applications? If they knew what Apple was really up to, why go along with Apple's deception to the point of arguing as if they believe it themselves?

"I try to be a good Christian. I follow all the teachings of the Bible. I even follow the teachings that contradict the other teachings." -Ned Flanders.

 

[Madmic23]

This is an amazing story. You think that Apple conceived of, programmed, and released the App Store in well under a year?

The rest of us are over here assuming that’s impossible and that the app store must have been planned before the first iPhone even launched; that Apple’s programmers aren’t, in fact; magical.

But apparently they are?

You have any evidence for such a claim?

When the iPhone was announced, Steve Jobs did make a point of saying you don't need an SDK to develop for the iPhone, just make web apps because they're just as good.

I'm pretty sure he changed his mind when they figured out how much money they could make.