While Apple boasted last summer that it had sold 3,000 million iPhone units since its launch in 2007, Apple has now highlighted another milestone in its operational and industrial growth. So, the firm announced that developers who sell digital goods and services on the App Store have earned more than 550,000 million dollars (about 471,000 million euros at the current exchange rate) since 2008, when the popular platform was launched.
Apple also assured that this number represents only a fraction of the total commerce supported by the App Store. In fact, he insisted that the App Store ecosystem generated $1.3 trillion in billings and sales for developers in 2024, adding that more than 90% of that trade went directly to them, without paying commissions from Apple itself.
In this case, the new milestone comes amid the adoption and development of artificial intelligence (AI), coinciding with a new alliance with Alphabet to create an AI-powered Siri. So, according to the agreement, Google’s Gemini models will be included in the future artificial intelligence functions of Apple, which recently appointed a new person in charge of this segment to regain its position against its rivals.
In this scenario, Apple emphasized its position in the market. The company said consumer trust has driven unprecedented engagement on the App Store in 2025, with an average of more than 850 million weekly users in 175 countries and regions. According to the company, this evolution has helped developers expand their business and attract new customers worldwide “with just one click.” The firm insists that stores in the United States, Japan, India and China recorded record footfall during the year, with historic customer spending on digital goods and services between Christmas and New Year.
The Tim Cook-led company said Apple Pay has also registered a significant impact, eliminating more than $1 billion in fraud and generating more than $100 billion in additional sales for merchants worldwide.
The announcement comes days before the company’s first fiscal quarter earnings report is scheduled for Jan. 29, a key period because it includes Christmas sales. The market expects the company’s revenue to exceed $140 billion and earnings per share of $2.69. During the same period last year, revenue reached 119.6 billion, which is 2% more.
The company maintained its growth trend last year. In the fourth quarter of last year, which ended in late September, Apple reported revenue of $102.5 billion, up 8% and above analysts’ estimates, with record performance in both the iPhone and services segments.
The company, in any case, needs to recapture investors. Shares are up about 11% over the past year, underperforming the Nasdaq’s 24% rise, and not far behind Alphabet’s 73%, which this week joined the $4 trillion club thanks, among other reasons, to the aforementioned alliance with Apple.
Apple, as part of the changes, has just announced that JP Morgan Chase will be the new issuer of the Apple Card, with a planned 24-month transition. Until now, the company’s partner in this segment was Goldman Sachs.
