Apple Says App Store Saw Record Revenue, Customer Transactions in July

Not sure exactly what you mean. If you mean that the developers are only making $5,000 per app per year, I think you need to go beyond averages, and look at this:


* Some developers are making far less than that, because people don't find value in their apps.
* Some developers are making a whole bunch more than that, because their apps are the ones selling on the store.
* Some developers make their money on advertising, which doesn't show up in Apple's numbers.

I don't mean a whole bunch by it, but it's illuminating. Especially when you see some of the malicious or petulant garbage that app store 'reviewers' will write about $1 apps.

I think Apple are still keen to foster the illusion of a gold rush, but its long over. Just the way their search function can only show one app at a time. It's almost as if, like casinos, they're trying to promote a big winner do draw in thousands of losers.

$5,000 per app per year? That's no way to make a living.

Not sure exactly what you mean. If you mean that the developers are only making $5,000 per app per year, I think you need to go beyond averages, and look at this:


* Some developers are making far less than that, because people don't find value in their apps.
* Some developers are making a whole bunch more than that, because their apps are the ones selling on the store.
* Some developers make their money on advertising, which doesn't show up in Apple's numbers.

And to think that Apple didn't want the App Store in the first place....

Steve Jobs didn't want it in the first place. There were other Apple employees that pushed for it though.

And to think that Apple didn't want the App Store in the first place....

Or is being paid to create apps that are free and have no ads,

Plus where did the $5000 figure come from? I can only assume someone did 5,000,000,000/1,211,461 = 4127, but the 1.2m apps weren't all bought last year?

Bingo. At least someone's thinking.

There are countless businesses that would like to have an App for their customers to use. The most obvious ones would be banks who provide an App free of charge for their customers to use to pay bills, check their balance and so on. Larger companies/organizations (like banks, CC companies, schools, sports teams) would have full time developers dedicated to mobile App development.

Smaller companies/organizations aren't going to employ a full-time developer - they're going to hire someone like me (who works part time for an App development company). There are a LOT of App developers like me who make decent money developing Apps for other people.

I don't know why people always assume Apps are only created by individuals who are making next to nothing. Or that there are "zombie Apps" that have few downloads and never make the charts (like that one famous study those idiots recently did) implying that nobody makes money on them.

Open your eyes people, there are lots of Apps you will never hear about unless you walk into a local small business and see a sign that says "Now available on The App Store". Someone got paid to develop that App and just because it's not making money (or the best-selling charts) doesn't mean time was wasted making it.

Think how much more that would be if Apple TV had an app store :)