Apple has shared an update on its newsroom website that customers spent $1.8 billion on digital goods and services in the App Store, during the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. A majority of this spending was on games and a record spending of $540 million was seen on New Year’s Day.
This is an enormous amount of spending in a single day and shows that despite the issues being reported by certain developers with regards to App Store, they are also earning a lot from it. Especially with the reduction to 15% commission, developers will be able to earn a larger chunk of revenue moving forward.
App Store sees $1.8 billion spendings in a week, $540 million in a day
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, shared a statement in the announcement:
“Now more than ever before, customers around the world have found inspiration and value in the breadth and quality of Apple’s services, which have impacted their lives in big and small ways every day. We’re incredibly optimistic about where we’re headed, and we believe that the opportunities for developers and the creative community are endless, as are the positive and meaningful benefits to our customers.”
An astonishing amount of $1.8 billion was spent in just a week on digital goods and services, which is a record for App Store, and other Apple services.
The trend continued over the holiday season, with App Store customers spending $1.8 billion on digital goods and services over the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, driven largely by spending on games. Customers ushered in 2021 by setting a new single-day spending record of over $540 million on New Year’s Day.
Apple also shared that Zoom and Disney+ were the most downloaded apps of 2020, and also mentioned that Among Us and Roblox were amongst the most popular games. Genshin Impact, one of the biggest mobile games ever to launch, also got an honorable mention.
Among 2020’s most downloaded apps were Zoom and Disney+, which helped keep family, friends, colleagues, and classmates connected. Games became more popular than ever, with breakout titles like “Among Us” and long-time favorites such as “Roblox” alike bringing people together. Developers of all sizes reached new global audiences, such as Shanghai-based miHoYo, which set a new record for the most successful launch week ever on the App Store with its runaway hit “Genshin Impact.”
Apple also shared some stats on the success of Apple Music. More than 90% of iOS 14 users used the new Listen Now, search enhancements, Autoplay, and other features introduced for the Music app. Apple Music offers more than 70 million songs and is just second to Spotify in terms of user base.
The company also spoke about the success of Apple TV+, and the introduction of premium movies on demand, which allow customers to watch movies from the safety of their homes, without going to a cinema. Apple revealed that Apple TV+ has received 159 award nominations and 45 wins and accolades since its launch.
Apple Arcade now features more than 140 games which have earned more than 50 awards and nominations, while Apple Books hit 90 million monthly active users. The company also boasted about its collection of 1,000 free books however, there has been no indication of Book Store availability in more countries and regions.
Lastly, Apple Podcasts is now available in 175 countries, with content available in 100 languages.
Apple has made these announcements regarding its services just before it is about to announce its Q4 2020 earnings on January 27, 2021.
