Apple App Store at 25 billion downloads: What's your fav?
Over the weekend App Store reached a momentous number of downloads: 25 billion. That achievement comes in less than four years; App Store opened for business in July 2008. Our question for you: What's your favorite?
Better: What are your favorite 10 downloaded iOS apps? Or you could answer: Which one, or which 10, do you use the most? Please answer in comments, and if you prefer some other mobile platform more tell us about it and the apps that make it matter most to you.
The times they really are a changing' for Apple. While the United States remains Apple's most important market, China is second, for which the 25 billionth app suggests and even foreshadows for future increased importance. Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China downloaded "Where's My Water? Free" as the record-setter. Apple will reward him with a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
Apple sales to China reached $13 billion in fiscal 2011, and the company pushes hard into the market -- not just with iOS devices. Already Apple touts features specific to Chinese users in OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion", which is scheduled to release in late summer.
"We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded", Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior veep for Internet Software and Services, says. "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".
At the end of February, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company had paid out over $4 billion to developers. Apple takes a 30-percent cut of sales; developers get the rest. The company now claims 550,000 apps -- 170,000 designed for iPad -- for sale in 123 countries.
Circling back to the fav question, top-10 paid apps at Apple's store this morning:
1. Draw Something by OMGPOP
2. Be Jeweled
3. Midway Arcade
4. Where's My Water
5. Evi
6. Scramble with Friends
7. Fruit Ninja
8. Angry Birds
9. WhatsApp Messenger
10. Munch Time.
Top-10 freebees:
1. Draw Something Free by OMGPOP
3. Move the Box
4. Hidden Objects: Gardens of Time
5. Police Chase Smash
6. Temple Run
7. Flashlight
8. MLB.com at Bat
9. Scramble With Friends Free
10. Instagram
As you can see, games dominate the top charts for free and paid apps. Did you hear that, Nintendo and Sony? There's a reason why Apple is bringing Game Center from iOS to Mountain Lion.
Since I'm asking for your favorites, here are my 10 most-used iOS apps, in alphabetical order: Amazon Kindle, Economist, Facebook, Feedly, Google+, New York Times, Shazam Encore, Vevo HD, Vimeo and WSJ. Which do I use the most? Feedly and Shazam Encore. WSJ will fall off the list, as I cancelled my subscription last week. The Journal wanted more than $200 for an online-only sub -- a hefty price hike from last year -- and I told the customer service rep: "No way!" I had a digital Wall Street Journal subscription since 1996.
As you can see, I don't play games. I also have spent more time on Android recently, so my iOS apps list would be broader if using the platform more. What are your favs?