Jobs: $30 Million App Store Sales in First Month, Confirms Kill Switch
In an interview with Steve Jobs, The Wall Street Journal reports that the iTunes App Store has delivered over 60 million programs to customers over the course of the first month. While most of those applications were free, Jobs does reveal that Apple has sold an average of $1 million a day in applications for a total of $30 million in sales over the first month. Jobs says he's "never seen anything like this in my career for software."
Some of the big winners amongst the sales include Sega's Super Monkey Ball [App Store] which saw over 300,000 downloads in the first 20 days. This represents over $2 million in net revenue for this $9.99 game alone. Meanwhile, the popular medical reference Epocrates [App Store] has seen over 125,000 downloads during its short time in the App Store. This compares quite favorably to Epocrates previously installed base of 500,000 other mobile users.
Also addressed is the recent discussion surrounding application removals. An Apple spokesperson described the pulling of the I am Rich application as a "judgement call".
Finally, Jobs confirms the ability to remotely disable an application:
Some of the big winners amongst the sales include Sega's Super Monkey Ball [App Store] which saw over 300,000 downloads in the first 20 days. This represents over $2 million in net revenue for this $9.99 game alone. Meanwhile, the popular medical reference Epocrates [App Store] has seen over 125,000 downloads during its short time in the App Store. This compares quite favorably to Epocrates previously installed base of 500,000 other mobile users.
Also addressed is the recent discussion surrounding application removals. An Apple spokesperson described the pulling of the I am Rich application as a "judgement call".
Finally, Jobs confirms the ability to remotely disable an application:
"Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull"
Top Rated Comments
(View all)49 months ago
Wow, those numbers are definitely impressive. We all knew it was going to be successful, but I doubt any of us would have predicted this.
49 months ago
Wow. As popular as I knew it was, that's still amazing. They'll never have another month like that, but it's still amazing. :)
49 months ago
Another tidbit from the article:
arn
Mr. Jobs said developers' share of iPhone application sales in the first month was about $21 million, of which the top 10 developers earned roughly $9 million.
arn
49 months ago
This will definitely help in future development of amazing applications with such high profits.
49 months ago
Very interesting stuff.
And this is with, how shall I say, a flood of less than stellar apps. Imagine how this store will do once it grows to include more usefull applications.
And this is with, how shall I say, a flood of less than stellar apps. Imagine how this store will do once it grows to include more usefull applications.
49 months ago
I wish there was an app I could make that everyone wants. The money here is silly!
49 months ago
what a joke
it is so nice for them to publish all these amazing numbers
however noone really cares to properlly report the ****** treatment and support given to developers that are fuelling this money machine
with all those millions earned there really is no reason for not replying to requests for whole weeks is it ?
i am being so verbal because as a registered developer with approved apps for over a week but blocked from the store for mysterious contractual reasons i have been completelly unable to get any reply from them to all my info / support requests
a little visit to the dev forums easily shows i am not the only one
btw, my apps are a series midi controllers for the iphone,
the 1st submitted over 3 weeks ago
it is so nice for them to publish all these amazing numbers
however noone really cares to properlly report the ****** treatment and support given to developers that are fuelling this money machine
with all those millions earned there really is no reason for not replying to requests for whole weeks is it ?
i am being so verbal because as a registered developer with approved apps for over a week but blocked from the store for mysterious contractual reasons i have been completelly unable to get any reply from them to all my info / support requests
a little visit to the dev forums easily shows i am not the only one
btw, my apps are a series midi controllers for the iphone,
the 1st submitted over 3 weeks ago
49 months ago
Hopefully this means that developers will actually be getting checks soon...
49 months ago
Easy to believe if my (depleted) bank account is any indication. :eek: (No, I didn't buy "I am rich")
My name is Flowbee, and I'm an iPhone app addict.
My name is Flowbee, and I'm an iPhone app addict.
49 months ago
That is indeed an impressive amount of sales. It's particularly impressive that the top ten developers earned $9 million. I wonder what those apps are? Are they all games, all expensive or something I'm missing? Hopefully money like this will lead to more mature, and unique, apps instead of a bandwagon of people saying: I want to get rich quick!
Speaking of getting rich quickly, I'm disappointed that they pulled the "I am rich" app. Yeah it was a gimmick, but it was a funny one.
Speaking of getting rich quickly, I'm disappointed that they pulled the "I am rich" app. Yeah it was a gimmick, but it was a funny one.
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