Apple's App Store Logs 40 Billion Apps Downloads

In the month of December, Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store recorded more than 2 billion downloads, slightly more than 10% of 2012 downloads totalling nearly 20 billion. Since the App Store first opened, more than 40 billion apps have been downloaded.

Developers have created 775,000 apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod, and have received more than $7 billion dollars from sales through the App Store, according to an Apple press release. A recent estimate at website The Sociable indicates that apps for the Android operating system from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) will hit 1 million in June of this year.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) claims about 150,000 apps for its Windows Phone Store, which is well below either Apple's or Google's count. But the Windows Phone Store had more apps at launch time than either Apple or Google. Microsoft also pays developers better than Apple does, letting them keep 80% of the sales revenue, compared with 70% at Apple.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Consumer Electronics, Internet, Software, Technology Companies, Telecom & Wireless Tagged: AAPL, featured, GOOG, MSFT