Apple Announces 30 Billion App Downloads, $5 Billion Paid To Developers

Apple wasted no time during its WWDC keynote when it came to touting the success of its App Store. According to company officials Apple has now witnessed more than 30 billion app downloads and they have paid developers more than $5 billion for their collective efforts.

Based on those numbers Apple is currently paying $1 in developer revenue for every six apps that are downloaded by iOS users on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices. At a 30% revenue share that means Apple earns approximately $.90 for every 18 app downloads or $.05 per app download.

Apple also revealed that the company now watches over more than 400 million App Store accounts which CEO Tim Cook claims makes the company the largest holder of credit card accounts on the Internet.

Cook goes on to claim that the App store portal represents:

“The most vibrant app ecosystem on the planet,” because of its “phenomenal” size and momentum.

Always the attacker Cook also took a moment to once again go after Google Android, noting that the competition only has a “few hundred” tablet-oriented apps” while the Apple store has 225,000 designed specifically for the iPad. Cook did not however make mention of Google Android’s smartphone devices which have dominated smartphone sales in recent years.

Cook did throw in a bit of positive spin along the way, tells developers at the conference:

“For Apple, and I suspect many of you, our goal has always been to do great work and to make a difference in other people’s lives. Nothing makes use happier than to see hundreds of thousands of devs around the world using our hardware and our software to share their latest and greatest ideas.”