A new study of the apps market by AppFigures reveals that developers’ interest in Mac App Store is diminishing. The estimate is based on the number of apps launched on the Mac App Store per month.
Unlike iOS App Store, Apple allows Mac users to download apps from third-party app stores or directly from the web. Therefore, it only introduced an official Mac App Store in 2011 to offer users a safe environment to install the app without worrying about malware. But with time, fewer developers are launching new apps on the digital market place and the Macs’ small share of the computer market might be the reason.
Why are fewer apps launched in Mac App Store in 2021?
As per the study, the activity on the Mac App Store is “only slowing down”, especially in comparison to new apps released on the digital store in 2020.
In 2020, developers released, on average, 392 new apps to the Mac App Store every month. The actual figures range between the low 300s and low 400s, so the average is a fair estimate
But our story continues because so far in 2021, the average number of new Mac apps has dropped to 343, with the variance growing drastically and the low end dropping into the low 200s.
The company has just launched new M1 Mac models which open doors for so many possibilities for developers. Taking advantage of the M1 Apple Silicon’s incredible performance and battery life, iOS apps can be optimized for M1 Mac, especially gaming apps. But, the survey shows that that prospective lacks zeal.
With the new M1 processor, the promise of iOS apps on desktop became real, and I see a lot of potential there for many developers. But… the way I see it, this can go in two very different directions. Once enough M1-equipped computers are in the hands of consumers, and given how many apps will become available instantly, users will be forced to use the Mac App Store to get apps.
Or, another possibility is that because the Mac App Store isn’t a destination at all, users will skip the experience altogether and continue to use iOS apps where they were intended to be used, on phones, and this opportunity will die.
I would love to see the former, but without major changes from Apple, I’m ready for the latter.
CIRP study on the other Apple devices owned by iPhone users revealed that less than fifty percent of iPhone buyers own a Mac. 90% of iPhone buyers own a computer but only 41% of them own a Mac, primarily a laptop.
