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Apple's App Store developer revenue hits $25bn as Apple touts job creation

App developer revenue reaches $10bn in 2014 as Apple says it supports one million US jobs.
Written by Steve Ranger, Global News Director

Apple has revealed that last year developers generated more than $10bn in revenue from iOS apps, and said the company - directly or indirectly - now supports one million jobs across the US.

The technology giant said that since the App Store opened in 2008, developers have now earned a total of $25bn from the sale of apps and games.

It also said the first week of this year set a new record for App Store sales, with customers spending nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases, while New Year's Day 2015 marked the single biggest day ever in App Store sales history.

App Store revenue is an important measure of how the Apple ecosystem is operating: while there are far more Android handsets in use, for example, developers still prefer to build apps for iOS first because iDevice users tend to spend more. Having a wide selection of apps is also one reason why people choose iOS devices, so it's a virtuous circle that Apple is keen to keep rolling on.

"This year is off to a tremendous start after a record-breaking year for the App Store and our developer community," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services.

The App Store now contains more than 1.4 million apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, with more than 725,000 of these apps made for iPad. 


The company also emphasised its positive impact on the US economy, and said that since 2008 its iOS ecosystem "has helped create 627,000 jobs in the US alone".

In addition, the company also said that as 400,000 jobs are supported "directly or indirectly" by the company, counting jobs at Apple's suppliers through "to the people who build the planes and trucks that carry them to our customers", that there are, in total, over one million US jobs created or supported by Apple.

The company also has of course many suppliers outside of the US - for example the company has 349 suppliers in China where much of its smartphone assembly is done hence the "Developed by Apple in California, Asssembled in China" which is found on the back of iPhones.

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