The late Steve Jobs announced the App Store at the first iPhone SDK event in the spring of 2008. It was the first on-device App Store, managed entirely by the platform owner. It launched in June of 2008 with 500 apps, but has since exploded to nearly a million. It popularized software by making it more easily obtained, managed, and removed than ever before. The iOS App Store is now available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, as well as via the iTunes desktop. Thanks to Apple's 30/70 split with developers, it has also paid out billions of dollars to date.
The late Steve Jobs announced the App Store at the first iPhone SDK event in the spring of 2008. It was the first on-device App Store, managed entirely by the platform owner. It launched in June of 2008 with 500 apps, but has since exploded to nearly a million. It popularized software by making it more easily obtained, managed, and removed than ever before. The iOS App Store is now available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, as well as via the iTunes desktop. Thanks to Apple's 30/70 split with developers, it has also paid out billions of dollars to date.
18 July 201423By Rene RitchieIn-app purchases (IAP) can seem like complicated, confusing things, especially if you're a parent new to the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and App Store, and trying to figure it all out for yourself and your kids...
10 July 2014By Rene RitchieApp Store Year Zero: How unsweetened web apps and unsigned code drove the iPhone to an SDK
Apple introduced the App Store on July 10, 2008. Over the course of the next week we're going to take a look back at the origins and development of App Store, and forward towards its potential future...
25 August 20131By Rene RitchieThe time between the developer preview for iOS 4 and iOS 5 was the longest to date. Rather than a spring event like in previous years, Apple didn't reveal any details of iOS 5 until WWDC 2011 in June. Also, rather than a summer release, general availability was held off until October of that year. So what did Apple manage to achieve with those extra months? Several things that weren't made available to developers, including Siri and Notification Center widgets. iCloud, however, and the sync services that came with it, were big. As was Newsstand and its subscription services, at least potentially. In keeping with tradition, however, neither was without controversy.
21 August 20131By Rene RitchieGoing into its third year, the App Store had become successful beyond anyone - probably even Apple's - wildest dreams. It was enabling and serving more apps from more developers to more customers than any single software source in history. However, while iPhone and iPad apps were the most popular in mobile history, they were far from the most capable. That's why, in April of 2010 at the iPhone OS 4 - renamed iOS 4 shortly thereafter - preview event, Apple started amping up apps. Folders increased the raw number of apps that could be loaded onto any device at one time, Calendar access let developers hook into the event system, and iAd gave them an additional, Apple-owned option for monetizing free apps. The biggest new feature, however, for users and developers alike, was multitasking. Kind of.
09 August 20134By Rene RitchieThe App Store might have launched in 2008, but it didn't stop there. At the Apple iPhone OS 3.0 preview event, held in March of 2009, the iPhone and all its apps, first and third party, got copy and paste, Spotlight search as an ersatz secondary app launcher, and access to the dock port. Among 1000 other new and improved API, the previously announced push notification service was also re-introduced, which wasn't multitasking but would enable whole classes of apps to be more useful than previously possible. Arguably, however, the most transformative new feature in iPhone OS 3.0 was, for good and ill, in-app purchase (IAP).
12 July 20135By Rene RitchieApple introduced the App Store on July 10, 2008, five years ago this week. Over the course of the next few days we're going to take a look back at the origins and development of App Store, and forward towards its potential future. That future began with launch day. Apple went from no apps to hundreds of them over night. And for the first time ever, every up-to-date device across an entire platform had a centralized, unified place where customers could go to easily, safely buy apps. One tap on one icon on one Home screen, and they were in and buying with one login and one account. Just like the iPhone had made mobile computing mainstream, the App Store now made mobile apps mainstream. The world has never been the same.
23 June 20171By Joseph KellerApple has created a special section of the Canadian App Store to highlight the country's favorite apps and games, as well as apps developed by Canadians.
22 June 2017By Joseph KellerWe're always on the lookout for the best apps on the iPhone and iPad App Store. This week, stay on top of your to-dos with Taskful, get apps for summer reading, and and guide walking buckets of paint through complex levels in Telepaint.
01 June 2017By Rene RitchieOver the last decade the App Store has earned developers over $70 billion but that's insignificant compared to how it's changed the world and our lives.
16 May 20174By Rich StevensWelcome to this week's edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties' Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in between.
08 May 201714By Rene RitchieApple just announced via the iTunes Affiliate Newsletter that it's slashing App Store — app and in-app purchase — affiliate revenue from 7% to 2.5% effective May 1, 2017.
05 May 20176By Rene RitchieJust like the traditional concept of apps has changed, the traditional concept of indie app development is and will have to continue changing along with it.
30 January 2017By Rene RitchieApp Store is bringing responses to reviews, Meitu is junk… but not malicious, and the iPad turns seven. With Serenity, Georgia, Lory, Mikah, and Rene!
17 January 2017By Alex DobieThe British pound has been losing value since last summer's Brexit vote, and the latest dip below $1.20 has prompted apple to raise app prices.
