The App Store is 10 years old

A decade later, app stores became the preferred distribution channel for software and a billion dollar company . In its first year, the iPhone had only a handful of immutable Apple applications – and all other vendors could only bring on-device web applications operating in the browser. This changed on July 10, 2008, when the App Store was launched. Today, people hardly remember how business was at the time before the iPhone: most of the time, the mobile operator decided future applications on the device. And even if programs could be installed, it was a complicated process. Apple's platform has crossed this bottleneck: in principle, anyone could bring their software to the iPhone, provided that its application is subject to a control of security, did not contain badgraphy, and did not attempt to steal user data. – To fund the App Store operation, as CEO Steve Jobs explained at the launch. More than $ 100 billion has now been distributed to software developers. This means that in Apple's crates more than 40 billion dollars have flowed are.

The first sweep of the iPhone Apps was characterized by playful: There were applications, which made fart sounds, in which the foam sloshed back and forth. There is now an app for just about anything – and the mbad of more than two million applications only in the Apple platform brings new problems. Many programs are buried somewhere deep in the cellar of the App Store. As such, the "zombie applications", which are virtually invisible to consumers if they are not targeted, the badysis company Adjust currently considers 96% of all applications. Apple retorts with a reorganization of the App Store: day after day, more different programs are presented in individual categories. The category of popular games has been cut to give more space to all other applications.

Apple's 30% fee has repeatedly sparked controversy, particularly with respect to integrated shopping. This means that if a streaming music service sells the paid version in its iPhone application, it must share the product with Apple.

Spotlight has seen unfair competition as Apple Music also costs $ 9.99 a month complaint to the European Commission. First, Spotify has sold the subscriptions on the iPhone simply more expensive – for 12.99 euros, you can no longer supplement them in the application. Google's YouTube has chosen its new premium subscription model $ 12.99. The "Financial Times" gave up because of the royalty sometimes even entirely on an iPhone app, but has since returned to the App Store. Since 2016, after a full year of subscription service, Apple still retains only 15%.

On Mac, Apple also launched an App Store, but the activity is more difficult. On the one hand, computers are not the only way to get software on the device, unlike the iPhone. Second, developers are more likely to be unhappy not only with the 30 percent royalty but also with the functional limitations that Apple imposes on the Mac App Store. The group wants to take countermeasures with a redesign similar to that of the iPhone.

The jobs initially had to be against the opening of the iPhone for applications, partly because of security issues. That is why all applications must go through a check, has also been criticized as censorship – but Apple has helped, with the exception of some hidden cases malware to stay away from the platform. In the competing Android system, there is the Google Play Store (which was still called Android Market at the beginning of the market in October 2008) with similar security. However, on Android smartphones, applications can also be installed from other download platforms, which is considered a risk factor.

What has not changed in the last ten years is that Apple customers dominate the smartphone market. According to the calculations of the App Annie badysis company, Google has been the leader in the number of downloads last year, with 70 to 30 percent in advance – but two-thirds of the products have landed at Apple. And App Annie does not see an end to growth: in the year 2022 only consumers would leave more than 75 billion dollars in the Apple 's App Store, is the forecast.

At a time when large technology companies are accused of paying too little tax, Apple likes to bring to the forefront the employment effect of the application economy. The App Store estimates that the app store supports 262,000 jobs in Germany and 1.57 million in Europe. Apple counts jobs that are directly integrated into the application.

Apple for ten years App Store

App Annie for ten years App Store