iPhone App Store: 30,000 apps, but slowing?
Shortly before 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, eight months after it opened with 500 applications for the iPhone and iPod touch, Apple's (AAPL) App Store passed the 30,000 mark, according to the count maintained by 148Apps, which updates its list automatically.
That's up from 28,000 apps nine days ago and considerably higher than the official figure of 25,000 that Apple has been using.
But the flood of new titles seems to have slowed, and there are signs that the App Store's infrastructure is straining to keep up with what it already has in hand. Complaints from developers — always a contentious lot (see here and here) — have increased in recent days. Among their latest grievances:
- Delays in approval. Although Apple claims that 96% of apps submitted in February were approved — 98% within seven days — reports persist of apps languishing in the queue for months.
- Delayed payments. The waits for monthly payments have grown longer this year, on occasion violating the contract that says they must be paid within 45 days of the end of the month. See here.
- A punitive refund policy. As Techcrunch's Leena Rao reports, developers get only 70% of each sale, but if a user demands a refund within 90 days, Apple makes the developer return 100% of the sale price.
- Failure to police the App Store. Several developers (three that we know of) are loudly complaining that clones of their original apps have been approved by Apple and are now being sold by copycats on the App Store. See here and here.
The slowdown in App Store growth is relatively small and quite recent. In early March, the store was adding new titles at the rate of 250 a day. Over the last nine days, the rate of growth has slowed to less than 223 per day. You can see change in the curve of the line in the fever chart below:
It's not clear how significant this might be. It's more likely to be a temporary blip in the data, caused perhaps by developers shifting their attention to the new SDK (software development kit) released last week, than a sign that the App Store has reached saturation levels. But it is the first slowdown we've seen since the store was launched last summer.
UPDATE: Reader Michael Cawthon, who has been keeping even closer taps on 148Apps data than I, disputes the assertion that the store's growth is slowing. He points out that March is not over yet and that submissions tend to pick up at the end of each month. He's got the data to show it. His analysis is posted in full below the fold.
Meanwhile, see also:
- Major iPhone OS upgrade coming this summer
- How the iPhone App Store grows
- Now everybody has an App Store
- iPhone: Trouble in the App Store
- iPhone: Big trouble in the App Store
To: Philip Elmer-DeWitt
I've been tracking app store growth for some time and slightly prefer the 148Apps site to Mobclix for count stats and accuracy. But in any case I would disagree that store growth is slowing. First, some monthly numbers from 148Apps:
Month   Submitted   Per Day
May   2   NA
Jun   19   1
Jul   592   20
Aug   1,630   53
Sep   2,944   95
Oct   2,656   86
Nov   3,136   105
Dec   3,824   123
Jan   4,888   158
Feb   5,872   210
Mar   4,422   170
Where "Submitted" is just that — the count of Apps submitted in a particular month, and which incidentally continues to grow in subsequent months — and "Per Day" is simply the number of submissions divided by the count of days in that month.
In the case of March above, I've only divided by 26 days, and the result versus previous months would support your thesis that submissions are slowing.
However, consider the following data taken down each day during the later half of February:
Date   Submitted   Per Day
2/15/09Â Â Â 1750Â Â Â 117
2/16/09Â Â Â 1846Â Â Â 115
2/17/09Â Â Â 2143Â Â Â 126
2/18/09Â Â Â 2274Â Â Â 126
2/19/09Â Â Â 2560Â Â Â 135
2/20/09Â Â Â 2854Â Â Â 143
2/21/09Â Â Â 3148Â Â Â 150
2/22/09Â Â Â 3379Â Â Â 154
2/23/09Â Â Â 3562Â Â Â 155
2/24/09Â Â Â 3791Â Â Â 158
2/25/09Â Â Â 4122Â Â Â 165
2/26/09Â Â Â 4697Â Â Â 181
2/27/09Â Â Â 5301Â Â Â 196
2/28/09Â Â Â 5796Â Â Â 207
If we'd looked at apparent App store growth on February 24th, we would've concluded that growth was going to be flat to down versus January. But apparently the rate of approval isn't linear throughout the month. It isn't clear to me why this would be so, except that Apple prob has some process whereby apps of a certain size, or content, or whatever get subjected to a more rigorous threshold for approval, and maybe it only happens at the end of the month.
Anyway, if you care to wager that growth with be down for March, I'll be happy to take the other side given that it's only the 26th…
Cheers,
Michael
ex ped: You're on! Winner gets 99 cents.
I sell the unique source codes of tetrisa for iphone. On OBJECT-C. All buyers will be advised on a code of game.
We develop iPhone apps and have seen the numbers increasing and not declining. Not yet anyway. ohwowstudios.com
We develop iPhone apps and have seen the numbers increasing and not declining. Not yet anyway. ohwowstudios.com
Windows lovers,just stick to your windows products – the zune, the phones to which Microsoft does not make but relies on others……..you don't have to buy Apple products, the idea choice. So just stick to your Windows. Move on, grow up/and stop going on about Apple fan boys…..move over Windows Whiner/or better yet Microsoft Misfit…
Windows lovers,just stick to your windows products – the zune, the phones to which Microsoft does not make but relies on others……..you don't have to buy Apple products, the idea choice. So just stick to your Windows. Move on, grow up/and stop going on about Apple fan boys…..move over Windows Whiner/or better yet Microsoft Misfit…
Good to know we’re in the 2% that have not made it through. Somehow I doubt that this Apple statistic is true, particularly given that our app is for a record label and is doing nothing new. Also, given the number of representatives that apple has for indie-labels in iTunes, 1 (one), I doubt that a slow-down was considered as important.
Kill that golden goose, we can always do Android as it matures…
Good to know we’re in the 2% that have not made it through. Somehow I doubt that this Apple statistic is true, particularly given that our app is for a record label and is doing nothing new. Also, given the number of representatives that apple has for indie-labels in iTunes, 1 (one), I doubt that a slow-down was considered as important.
Kill that golden goose, we can always do Android as it matures…
I own a windows mobile 6 phone (sprint mogul), and besides the battery life time, it is great.
For me, the Apple is like another Holleywood monster, which generate tons of cash by provide the very exciting consume entertainment.
I will work on some application on WM6 and Android (google phone), and the iPhone is not the choice for corp application, don't make sense to work on it yet.
I own a windows mobile 6 phone (sprint mogul), and besides the battery life time, it is great.
For me, the Apple is like another Holleywood monster, which generate tons of cash by provide the very exciting consume entertainment.
I will work on some application on WM6 and Android (google phone), and the iPhone is not the choice for corp application, don't make sense to work on it yet.
The refund policy is not too different from a merchant banking policy. If you are a vendor that accepts Visa or MC for payments, you suffer the same risk of 100% clawback with no recourse.
The refund policy is not too different from a merchant banking policy. If you are a vendor that accepts Visa or MC for payments, you suffer the same risk of 100% clawback with no recourse.
You always hear about the people that hit it big on the AppStore. I was so excited when my game "Pest Poke" finally got posted on there this Monday. But after three days I have only had three sales! Greatly disappointing. I think my game is pretty good for $0.99, but as an individual it is turning out to be hard to compete with the more popular games put out by the large corporations.
You always hear about the people that hit it big on the AppStore. I was so excited when my game "Pest Poke" finally got posted on there this Monday. But after three days I have only had three sales! Greatly disappointing. I think my game is pretty good for $0.99, but as an individual it is turning out to be hard to compete with the more popular games put out by the large corporations.
Of course it slowed. Developers were probably holding back while waiting for the new SDK. In a month, you'll see a whole new flood of apps and Apple will be swamped again. Besides, you need to be less concerned about quantity and more concerned about quality.
A year from now when the App store has about 100,000 apps, you'll be saying the tide of apps is slowing. Except with the new mobile hardware Apple will be announcing, it will probably kick the app number up even higher. Gee, that graph already looks like a grand erection. What more can you ask for?
I want to see how critical you'll be when WinMo and RIM app stores become functional. Will you start mentioning about how their stores are getting off the a slow start after six months and only 10,000 apps between the both of them.
What greedy developer or content creator will be able to resist the in-app transaction API? So far, the closest API developed that can practically turn lead into gold.
Of course it slowed. Developers were probably holding back while waiting for the new SDK. In a month, you'll see a whole new flood of apps and Apple will be swamped again. Besides, you need to be less concerned about quantity and more concerned about quality.
A year from now when the App store has about 100,000 apps, you'll be saying the tide of apps is slowing. Except with the new mobile hardware Apple will be announcing, it will probably kick the app number up even higher. Gee, that graph already looks like a grand erection. What more can you ask for?
I want to see how critical you'll be when WinMo and RIM app stores become functional. Will you start mentioning about how their stores are getting off the a slow start after six months and only 10,000 apps between the both of them.
What greedy developer or content creator will be able to resist the in-app transaction API? So far, the closest API developed that can practically turn lead into gold.
Justin wrote: "Something else to keep in mind is the 3.0SDK came out this month and many developers, myself included have moved to developing for 3.0 which can not be submitted to the store yet."
And other developers who gave up on the previous SDK because it couldn't do what they needed (like me) have started programing for the iphone again.
But I do think there has got to be a point of diminishing returns on the app store. There are so many apps that are basically useless. Fun, maybe, depending on your taste, but still utterly useless.
And there is the argument to be made that Apple is having trouble setting out the app store. There are so many apps now, it is easy to get bored trying to find something good.
So I think the app store is going to mature, and this idea that everyone can make a fortune writing an app that goes "BOING!" when you press the boing button must die.
Don't get me wrong. That WHOO! app (it went "WHOO!" when you pressed the WHOO! button) was a piece of programming excellence, and will take its rightful place in digital folklore. But enough, already.
The app store has got to provide fewer, better apps, folks will stop going to that store. Just like any other store, I guess.
Justin wrote: "Something else to keep in mind is the 3.0SDK came out this month and many developers, myself included have moved to developing for 3.0 which can not be submitted to the store yet."
And other developers who gave up on the previous SDK because it couldn't do what they needed (like me) have started programing for the iphone again.
But I do think there has got to be a point of diminishing returns on the app store. There are so many apps that are basically useless. Fun, maybe, depending on your taste, but still utterly useless.
And there is the argument to be made that Apple is having trouble setting out the app store. There are so many apps now, it is easy to get bored trying to find something good.
So I think the app store is going to mature, and this idea that everyone can make a fortune writing an app that goes "BOING!" when you press the boing button must die.
Don't get me wrong. That WHOO! app (it went "WHOO!" when you pressed the WHOO! button) was a piece of programming excellence, and will take its rightful place in digital folklore. But enough, already.
The app store has got to provide fewer, better apps, folks will stop going to that store. Just like any other store, I guess.
Add this article to the 100th article that Apple is going to die.
Yeah, right.
With the 3.0 SDK coming out, there is bound to be a pause in application development as developers switch gears and learn the new 1000 application interfaces to play with as well as hardware access to play with.
With the new iPhone model coming out in June/July, the App Store is bound for further enormous growth, way past what the other smartphones are capable of doing.
With over 20,000 apps, the iPhone passed Microsoft's 9 years worth of Windows Mobile in just 6 months.
And it keeps on growing.
ex ped: Where did it say that Apple is going to die?
Add this article to the 100th article that Apple is going to die.
Yeah, right.
With the 3.0 SDK coming out, there is bound to be a pause in application development as developers switch gears and learn the new 1000 application interfaces to play with as well as hardware access to play with.
With the new iPhone model coming out in June/July, the App Store is bound for further enormous growth, way past what the other smartphones are capable of doing.
With over 20,000 apps, the iPhone passed Microsoft's 9 years worth of Windows Mobile in just 6 months.
And it keeps on growing.
ex ped: Where did it say that Apple is going to die?
Something else to keep in mind is the 3.0SDK came out this month and many developers, myself included have moved to developing for 3.0 which can not be submitted to the store yet.
Something else to keep in mind is the 3.0SDK came out this month and many developers, myself included have moved to developing for 3.0 which can not be submitted to the store yet.
LOL — Look at all the Apple fan boys getting their blinded faith in a brainwashing company poked at… sad sad sad.
LOL — Look at all the Apple fan boys getting their blinded faith in a brainwashing company poked at… sad sad sad.
Let's see, 30000 apps and counting? At what point does new applications correlate with growth or success? I don't see anyone plotting how many new windows programs are released each day and extrapolating success or failure. It's interesting info, but presented in a poor manner.
Let's see, 30000 apps and counting? At what point does new applications correlate with growth or success? I don't see anyone plotting how many new windows programs are released each day and extrapolating success or failure. It's interesting info, but presented in a poor manner.
There's (barely) a one month blip and you say it's slowing? Wait till after the public release of 3.0 in a few months, then tell me it's slowing.
If that happens, that will be news.
Microsoft, Google, Palm and Symbian can only dream of their App stores "slowing down" like this.
There's (barely) a one month blip and you say it's slowing? Wait till after the public release of 3.0 in a few months, then tell me it's slowing.
If that happens, that will be news.
Microsoft, Google, Palm and Symbian can only dream of their App stores "slowing down" like this.
Facts? Several developers? Who, how many exactly out of how many total, 5, 10, 20? Man do a little work once in a while.
ex ped: Three that I know of. Apple says that 800,000 developers subscribed to the SDK program, but doesn't say how many are actively developing. If you want the names of the developers (for what reason, I can't imagine), follow the links in the story.
Facts? Several developers? Who, how many exactly out of how many total, 5, 10, 20? Man do a little work once in a while.
ex ped: Three that I know of. Apple says that 800,000 developers subscribed to the SDK program, but doesn't say how many are actively developing. If you want the names of the developers (for what reason, I can't imagine), follow the links in the story.
You just couldn't put up a Headline without adding a negative tone. Come on " Fortune " stop acting like CNN & Fox.
My gosh, 30,000 apps far ahead on expectations, of course it has to slow at some point.
You just couldn't put up a Headline without adding a negative tone. Come on " Fortune " stop acting like CNN & Fox.
My gosh, 30,000 apps far ahead on expectations, of course it has to slow at some point.
I sell the unique source codes of tetrisa for iphone. On OBJECT-C. All buyers will be advised on a code of game.
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