Apple: App Store passes 15bn downloads milestone

Apple’s App Store has served its 15 billionth download in the space of three years, the company has said.

The Cupertino group opened the App Store in July 2008, and its popularity has accelerated rapidly ever since.

Apple had to wait nearly a year before it could announce the App Store’s first billionth download, but across 2010 about seven billion apps had been downloaded from the store.

In the past six months alone, there have been some five billion App Store downloads.

“In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Apple marketing exec Philip Schiller.

“Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads.”

Of the some 425,000 iOS apps available, Apple claims that around 100,000 are "iPad native".

The A5-powered iPad 2, meanwhile, continues to draw praise from developers.

Epic Games’ boss Mark Rein said the device "provides us with an unparalleled mobile device for creating gorgeous, immersive games”.

Said Rein: “Infinity Blade has been a runaway hit with customers around the world and we couldn’t be more excited about our success on iOS devices.”