14 DAY TRIAL // Following the launch of the App Store, some decided to focus their attention entirely on the iPhone and the apps being submitted to the App Store each day. Anticipating the success of a good tracking / monitoring system, trackers such as Apptism began indexing every single application hitting the venue. Going by its listings, there are currently well over 15 thousand applications and games available for download onto iPhone and iPod touch.
The App Store works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, so iPhone users can wirelessly download applications directly onto their devices and start using them immediately. Applications are sometimes free to download and use, or charged to the user’s iTunes account. The App Store notifies them when updates are available for their apps. The App Store is also available on iTunes www.itunes.com for Mac or PC. By choosing this method to browse apps, users can sync applications to the iPhone or iPod touch using a USB cable.
At Apple's conference call on October 21, the company disclosed that, the following day, users were expected to reach 200 million downloads. Going by Apple's figures, that would have put around 100 million downloads only on the tap of the 6 weeks ending October 21. Later, several sources reported that the App Store had reached the 10,000 applications landmark. According to others' calculations, trackers were also taking rejected apps into account, denying the figure.
Soon enough, reports saying that Apple was using print media to advertise the latest goals scored by its App Store revealed that the venue had indeed reached the 10,000 apps landmark. Moreover, downloads had topped 300 million at the same time those reports were issued.
Apple is not expected to officially announce the feat (should the App Store really hold 15K apps at the moment). However, we can expect the iPhone maker to confirm cruising passed the 500 million downloads milestone, if only as a secondary announcement to bigger unveilings.