Apple is making more revenue off the App Store alone in 2017 than it did in all of 2007, according to a new study that analyzed Apple’s money-printing app empire.
When the iPhone launched in 2007, Steve Jobs absolutely refused to let third-party apps on his beloved device. Fast forward ten years later and not it’s not just hard to imagine the iPhone without the App Store. It’s hard to imagine Apple being as profitable without it.
As the iPhone turns 10 years old this week, the Apple’s long streak of dominance makes it seem like iPhone will rule the tech world for the forseeable future. Nothing last forever though, so what could the iPhone look like in 2027 when technology is more seamlessly embedded in our lives?
Cult of Mac is collaborating with Wired U.K. all this week for an in-depth look at the iPhone’s lasting impact and possible future. Tech experts that Wired talked to are pretty optimistic that the iPhone will still exist in some form 10 years from now. But interacting with it will be completely different.
Apple is looking to move away from the honeycomb-style app selection screen that debuted on the first Apple Watch.
With the new watchOS 4 software update coming to the public later this fall, Apple added an option that lets Apple Watch owners change the way they view and select apps.
Ditch the honeycomb for good with these steps:
Halide is yet another iPhone camera-replacement app, only this is one you’re going to want to use. Why? because it not only adds extra control to the stock camera app, it is also easier to use than Apple’s built-in app. In addition to being one-handed simple, Halide adds power features like manual focus and RAW capture. It’s quite a feat.
Plain-text nerds probably also enjoy over-organizing things. If that sounds like you, then NotePlan might just send you over the top, joy-wise. NotePlan is an app for iOS and Mac which combines plain-text (and Markdown) notes with a calendar.
A gorgeously illustrated, story-driven game with an utterly unique gameplay mechanic is just one of the titles we’ve picked out for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.
We’ve also got Google’s AI assistant, a classic Capcom game finally landed in the App Store after almost 30 years, and a third party keyboard that’s gotten even better. Check out our picks below.
Apple has risked upsetting customers in China by revealing plans to take a percentage of donations that are sent to content creators on social media, via the “tip” function of local apps like WeChat.
Apple previously told developers to disable the feature, but it has since reconsidered and decided that this represents an opportunity to make some money. Since they are considered in-app purchases, Apple wants to take its usual 30 percent cut of payments.
This is the Loog Pro, a three-string guitar suitable for kids, and also for awesome adults. The Pro, along with the new Loog Mini, are the sequels to existing Loogs, and bring a whole bunch of neat upgrades. Why are we writing about it here on Cult of Mac? Because it also comes with a free app to help you learn to play.
Don’t want to spend your weekend catching up on paperwork or mowing the lawn? No problem: Cult of Mac is here to help you.
We’ve combed through the various apps which landed in the App Store over the past seven days, and picked out what we think is the cream of the crop. From Hulu’s new Live TV subscription service to a hypnotically fun puzzle game, here’s everything you (may have) missed this week.
Apple today introduced two new low-cost pricing tiers for macOS and iOS apps sold in Europe. The change comes as price increases came into effect in Tuesday morning’s refresh as a result of exchange rate fluctuations.
A newly discovered bug in iOS 10 is wreaking havoc on iPhone owners by making Control Center more unstable than ever.
With just three taps, the bug allows anyone to crash an iPhone in seconds. Once the trick is executed, the only way to unfreeze an affected iPhone is with a hard reboot.
Here’s how to do the dirty:
Apple has decided to lower the amount of money it pays affiliate who funnel customers to buy apps and in-app purchases from the iOS App Store.
In an email update sent out today to members of its affiliates program, Apple says its cutting commission rates by more than half, leaving companies and websites with less money from what can be a valuable revenue stream.
Windows can no longer claim the crown as the most popular operating system on the internet thanks to the rise of smartphones.
During the month of March, Microsoft finally saw its share of worldwide OS internet get eclipsed by Google’s Android operating system, marking the first time a mobile OS is more popular than the software powering PCs.
The iOS App Store is expected to remain the most lucrative app store around for at least the next five years, but according to a new report Google Play and various third-party Android stores are likely to overtake it in total revenue as early as this year.
The insight comes from app analysis company App Annie, which suggests that total worldwide mobile app store downloads will exceed 352 billion in 2021, while gross consumer spend across all app stores will surpass $139 billion.
Scoring the No. 1 app on iOS doesn’t guarantee developers an extended stay on the App Store charts, according to a new study that found the shelf life for top apps is surprisingly short.
Apple has announced the upcoming launch of a new app designed to make it fun and easy for people to create and share “expressive videos” on their iPhone and iPads.
Called Clips, the social app will work by combining video clips, photos and music into videos that can be shared with friends through the Messages app, or using Instagram, Facebook and other popular social networks.
Getting your news fix without watching hours of talking heads can be a challenge now in the digital era. To help viewers out, ABC News is giving Apple TV owners a new feature that lets you watch multiple streams at once.
The popularity of iMessage apps is already starting to diminish, less than a year after their debut.
iMessage apps have been the hottest new feature on iPhones since iOS 10 introduced them last year. But new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows that excitement for the new apps is already starting to fade among developers.
Apple’s decision to drop support for 32-bit apps in iOS 11 later this year could kill about 187,000 apps, based on a new report that shows some old apps have been slow to catch up.
Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimates about 8% of all apps on the App Store will become obsolete. That small percentage may sound insignificant, but old games might be impacted the most.
When it comes to buying apps, iPhone users aren’t afraid to bust out their wallets for good software.
Spending on iOS apps increased during 2016, according to the latest data from app analytics firm SensorTower which claims the average iPhone user spends $27 a year just on games.
Apple is preparing to end support for 32-bit iOS apps, according to an error message discovered in the new iOS 10.3 beta.
The company warns that certain titles won’t work with future versions of its mobile operating system, and encourages developers to update them.
Apple appears to be pulling iOS apps from Iranian developers despite making the App Store available in Iran last September.
Several titles from Iranian startups have disappeared in recent days, but it’s not clear why Apple has suddenly begun bringing down the ban hammer.
It’s the final day of the weekend, which means it’s time for us to share our picks for the week’s most important apps and app updates.
From a nifty Touch Bar-style app for iOS and Mac to a terrific retro-styled dungeon actioner, we’re confident we’ve got something you’ll enjoy. Check out our choices below.
The way Mac users get apps is about to become a lot more like Netflix, thanks to a service launching today called Setapp.
Created by the folks at MacPaw, Setapp is a new app subscription service that provides Mac users with an alternative way to try and buy apps instead of going through the Mac App Store.
Its not filled with loads of crap either. Top apps like Ulysses, Blogo, CleanMyMac, iMazing, Pixa, Polarr and Flume are all included. Instead of buying apps individually though, Setapp lets users pay a flat fee for access to hundreds of popular apps.
iPad sales might be falling, but Apple’s tablet still outsells Android-powered rivals. Google hopes to change that by launching new Chrome OS slates that have the ability to run Android apps.