App Store's 25 Billionth Download Comes From China with 'Where's My Water? Free'

wheres my water free iconApple today announced the winner of its "25 Billion App Countdown" promotion that saw the company pass milestone late Friday. For the first time in one of Apple's countdown competitions, the winner, Chunli Fu, came from China.

Disney's Where's My Water? Free was the milestone download, and the winner will receive an iTunes Gift Card worth US$10,000.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.”

Apple notes that the App Store is currently available in 123 countries with over 550,000 applications available for download. Apps span 21 different categories, and the company has paid out over $4 billion to developers for their 70% share of revenue from paid downloads.

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Top Rated Comments

bbeagle Avatar
169 months ago
I wonder if the winner will have to pay taxes on that gift card or if Apple will cover those?
In the United States, yes. The winner will not pay taxes upon receipt of the gift card (because gift cards are untaxed), but only pay taxes after purchases occur with said gift card.

For example, you buy an Olive Garden gift card for $25. You pay exactly $25 to get the gift card. If you use this gift card to buy something later at Olive Garden for $25.00, tax is added, making it, say, $26.25 (with 5% tax rate). You give Olive Garden your gift card, and pay an additional $1.25 in cash.

I doubt I would even accept that prize if I had to pay taxes on it unless I could get the gift card broken up into numerous $100 cards to sell on one of those gift card buying sites.
Wow. Entitlement mentality at it's best.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applefan289 Avatar
169 months ago
Congratulations Chunli!

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gemütlichkeit Avatar
169 months ago
Congrats Chunli Fu if you read MR!

Let's hope her Government lets her view it :p
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flottenheimer Avatar
169 months ago
Congrats, Chunli Fu.
(Wondering how many visits MacRumors gets from China every day? ... @Arn ?)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
niuniu Avatar
169 months ago
Congrats Chunli Fu if you read MR!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MonkeySee.... Avatar
169 months ago
$10,000 - that's a lot of music!

And TV Shows and Movies and Apps etc.

iTunes is pretty good. :cool:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)