Apple has generated more than $260 billion in revenue for app developers since the launch of the App Store in 2008.
In its latest figures, Apple claims that 600 million users from 175 countries make digital purchases from the App Store every week. In total, the counter of revenue for developers stands at $260 billion since its launch in 2008. The past year-end period also saw substantial double-digit growth in terms of commercial spending within apps.
That high figure shows that the App Store is a gold mine for developers, but not everyone is happy with Apple’s approach. Following an antitrust lawsuit, it has had to settle against some U.S. developers. The main pain point is the lack of alternative purchase options where Apple would abuse its monopoly position within iOS.
Apple has already been pressured to change its App Store rules thanks to several settlements. Indeed, South Korea prohibits Apple and Google from requiring developers to use their payment systems. In Japan, regulators are now also allowed to link to their own websites from their “reader” apps.
In the US, Apple will soon have to allow other payment options with iOS apps, thanks to the Epic Games lawsuit that is still being litigated. Developers may then be able to link to their own websites within their apps, where customers can pay directly for certain services. Still, Apple is not currently going so far as to allow payment systems to be embedded directly into apps.