Apple has posted an article about the success of its various services. Here are some of the highlights:
° Developers selling digital goods and services — which is only a small fraction of the overall commerce theApp Store facilitates — have now earned more than US$200 billion since the App Store launched in 2008.
° 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.”
° Over the holiday season, App Store customers spent $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 Music — which offers more than 70 million songs — had a record year as people around the world spent more time discovering and engaging with music. The service released its biggest product update ever with features like Listen Now, an all-new Search, personal radio stations, and Autoplay. More than 90 percent of iOS 14 listeners have used these new features, and engagement with Apple Music’s industry-leading lyrics feature has doubled in 2020.
° Since its global launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ has been honored with 159 awards nominations and 45 wins and accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, Daytime Emmy Awards, a SAG Award, an NAACP Image Award, a Peabody Award, Critics Choice Award, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Cinema Eye Award, Kidscreen Awards, and more.
° More than 90% of stores in the US, 85% of stores in the UK, and 99% of stores in Australia accept Apple Pay.
° The Apple Arcade gaming service now boasts more than 140 games.
° Apple Books saw remarkable growth in new customers and now draws over 90 million monthly active users.
° Apple Podcasts is now in over 175 countries with programming in more than 100 languages.
