Apple App Store has pumped out more than 15 billion downloads since its launch nearly 3 years ago. The ecosystem is now home to more than 425,000 apps and continues to grow exponentially. In their press statement Apple boast about having 100,000 native iPad apps, which is seriously impressive when compared the competition.

The success of Apple’s App Store is not only enjoyed by the people at Apple, but the developers creating the apps. Without them you would not see this level of success — just take a look at the market share of other OS’s.

If developers do not find their “home” comfortable they’ll move somewhere that they can be — and that’s about as simple as it gets. Apple may have stricter policies on what is approved, but their ability to screen and promote apps is probably the biggest selling point to a developer. Some developers working with Android have concerns that their app will never get noticed. Where as with Apple they promote certain apps, and even have a Genius feature to help you find more apps based on what you’ve installed from the past.

Apple has a simple payout system where they take 30% and give the developer 70%. Since the launch of the App Store, Apple has paid developers $2.5 billion to date. Clearly this is an indicator of serious success for both Apple and it’s developing community — and it should be interesting to see what’s around the corner.

Soon, Apple will be releasing their next version of iOS 5 with a possible new phone to greet it. A new device and OS can spark new interest among current users and people who have never had an iOS device; so it’s safe to say that these numbers will grow. One thing I’ve always liked about Apple is their consistency in releasing numbers to the public. People like to now how popular a product is, and Apple has nothing to be ashamed about.

Source: Apple