Minutes ago, Apple went on record to confirm that its App Store has racked up over 15 billion downloads since the introduction of the digital storefront in 2008.
Although Apple refers to its App Store as a single entity, there are two sections of the iTunes App Store - one for iPhone and iPod touch apps, the other for iPad apps.
Responsible for the milestone are some 200 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users worldwide, Apple said.
The Cupertino company confirmed that the App Store currently offers more than 425,000 titles of which 100,000 are 100% compatible / native iPad apps.
Application categories include games, business, news, education, sports, health, reference and travel for all devices.
“More than 15 billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 425,000 apps are available, including more than 100,000 native iPad apps, to consumers in 90 countries,” Apple said today.
Apple said it has paid third-party developers over $2.5 billion to date.
Commenting on their feat, Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said: “In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen.”
“Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads,” added Schiller.
The Mac maker quotes a number of high-profile developers in its press release, including Dr. Ge Wang, a Smule co-founder and assistant professor at Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics; Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games; and Nicholas Callaway, CEO of Callaway Digital Arts.
Interestingly, all three quotes tout the iPad, but not the iPhone or the iPod touch.
Granted, it’s the tablet’s turn to shine, but those 15 billion downloads have been routed not through the iPad App Store, but through the iPhone app store.
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