It was 10th July in the year 2008 when the iPhone App Store was launched. The move from Apple was historic, as it allowed the iOS customers to avail of a wide variety of pre-loaded applications.
Predictably, the competitors were soon to follow suit and in no time, there were numerous such imitators of ‘App Store’ were launched. These were basically services for various mobile app development companies.
After years of its existence, we are bringing you a brief flashback of the App Store and the ups and downs faced by Apple to keep its application store going.
The Journey of the App Store
If we go by the App Store history, Apple filed for a trademark on the term ‘App’ which actually implied ‘Apple App Store.’ However, a federal judge denied the plea for the trademark. The term ‘app’ soon grew to be one of the most popular words in the ‘tech world’ and is now in use across the globe. The word app also won the ‘word of the year’ award in January 2011.
Later in the year 2013, Apple was quick to announce the launch of ‘Appstore.com,’ which was, in fact, a link that leads to their apps. It went a step further with the release of iOS 10.3, which allowed the users to communicate with the developers. It was an enhanced feature, as it later allowed users to rate and review apps by themselves. Apple further allowed users to rate other user’s reviews as ‘helpful’ or ‘not helpful.’
On the back-end, Apple instructed its developers to respond on time, clearly and timely. The tech giant made sure to filter the queries based on priority. The ethical training was also applied, as the developers could not imply any of their own manipulations of the feedback. The responses were enlisted below certain users’ reviews in the App Store and the users received notification via mail when a concern was attended to.
To put it simply, all of its efforts aided Apple to get all the inspection work for all the software on macOS and iOS App Store in place. Nowadays, each app is reviewed and checked for viruses and malware even.
Why Prefer App Store at the Very First Place?
Unlike many other third-party application stores, the App Store has distinguished its services. Right from providing instant service to secure gateways, App Store has almost everything that a user can ask for. For your better understanding, the following are the various benefits of the App Store that makes it a preferred pick:
1. Timely and Convenient Updates
When a user goes ahead and installs a certain app from the App Store, the user is accordingly notified if an update is currently available. The best part about this feature is that you can also install various updates in a single go.
2. Consistent User Experience
It is one of the best factors provided during the iPhone application development. In this, the user quickly gets familiar with the App Store and learns how to operate it likewise.
3. The Trust Issue
Apple is one of the most credible platforms in terms of safety and security. According to a study, more apps are rejected by the Apple App Store than the Google Play Store. Due to the same, people are more comfortable downloading apps via the App Store.
4. Convenience
After the developer publishes the app on the App Store, the familiarity of a single store operator makes it convenient for the user to use, update and relay up rather than anywhere else.
5. Diversification
The best part about the App Store is perhaps the variety that it offers. Right from the education learning apps to matchmaking apps, the App Store gets you completely covered. The App Store, in today’s time, has about two million apps within. It is a stark contrast to what started as just a few hundred in the beginning.
6. Exclusive Features
iTunes is another significant highlight for Apple users. It’s entirely exclusive to the users only and no other app development company offers this service. The users also get an insight into the most downloaded apps, as these are the most prominently featured apps.
7. Adequate Customer Support
The customer service offered for the App Store is one of the best and has been praised far and wide. In fact, many of the new updates are introduced to help customers enhance their experience.
8. Fair Marketing Chance
Since its inception, the App Store has created an even-handed platform where anyone can jump into to exercise their marketing initiatives. Similar to the Google keyword searches, the app with the right app store optimization strategy can outrun others and rank higher in the search result.
Apps are a remarkable customer loyalty tool and thus, it’s crucial to frequently update the content and encourage the users to check back regularly. Like this, the companies can drive engagement at par with others.
How iOS App Development Has Shaped Industries?
With time, Apple has been successful in setting an altogether new benchmark for iOS apps. The company’s approach is not just to cater to the users, but to keep the developers in the loop, as well. It aids industries to keep up with the latest technology trends and embrace the same in their operations.
The transformation of the digital age has pushed the developers to go for the modernization of the existing data to the iOS apps. The wide portfolio includes various services that involve both the customers and the enterprise applications. Accordingly, the companies have started customizing the services.
There are existing various iPhone app development companies, which are more concerned with the skilled team of professionals that are trained to customize iOS development services. The various services that are taken care of are:
- Designing the iPhone app
- iPhone enterprise application
- iPhone mobile eCommerce application
- iPhone app consultancy
- Testing
The performance optimization, marketing, and much more fall under the services offered. These companies have various scalable and high utility apps that are developed to increase and improve productivity.
How’s App Store Going to Withstand Against Play Store?
Interestingly, Play Store has more apps as compared to App Store, but if we talk about the revenue, it’s the App Store that has an edge over the Play Store. The worldwide gross app revenue of Google Play in 2019 was $29.3 billion, whereas, App Store was way ahead with $54.2 billion.
The above-mentioned stats clearly prove the dominance of the App Store over the Play Store. Moreover, the existence of dubious and malicious apps overtime on the Play Store has somehow boosted the users’ trust in the App Store. The following are some other reasons that make App Store a preferred pick over Play Store:
- Availability of most of the notable apps
- Secure payment gateways
- Assistance to the developers
- The registration fee for developers is reasonable
- Better visibility of apps
Going further, it would be exciting to see how the Play Store keeps up with the leaderboard and subdues the Play Store in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I download the App Store?
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How Many Apps Are in the App Store?
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Is the App Store and Apple Store the Same?
Content Writer
Sakshi Kaushik is a wordsmith extraordinaire who transforms complex technical jargon into captivating, must-read articles. Armed with a Masters in Economics, Sakshi dissects intricate topics with the precision of a seasoned expert. Her insights have graced prestigious platforms like Hackernoon, Ecowiser, and Medium, captivating readers and tech aficionados alike. With a career spanning influential companies like Teleperformance, Finex, and SparxIT Solutions, Sakshi is well-versed in navigating both the keyboard and the boardroom.
In addition to her extensive experience, Sakshi holds HubSpot certifications in Digital Advertising and Content Marketing, and has earned further credentials from UpGrad, Coursera, and Great Learning. Dedicated to sharing her expertise with mobile app developers and tech enthusiasts, Sakshi's passion shines through her writing. When she's not crafting compelling content, she enjoys diving into thrilling novels and exploring diverse worlds.