Apple confirms Pokemon Go sets App Store record

With all of the press it’s received in the past couple of weeks, it will come as no surprise that Pokemon Go has been a huge success. In fact, Apple told me today that the game has set a new App Store record with more downloads in its first week than any other app in history. That is impressive.

Apple also said that they have paid out $50 billion to developers. Again impressive, and it’s hard to even put that number into perspective.

The App Store has been widely successful, but Apple certainly isn’t resting on what it’s already built. I spoke with Phil Schiller in June about a number of changes his team made to the App Store, and others that are upcoming.

Developers, large and small, are reporting that engagement is increasing in their apps over time. That means that people are spending more time in their apps, which is good news for developers. In fact, since Q2 2014 the time spent in apps has nearly doubled.

Video and music streaming are among the growing categories in the App Store, and apps like Netflix are growing with its subscription model. That will most likely increase as Apple rolls out its expanded subscription model that Schiller told me about in June.

There can be no doubt that the popularity of the App Store continues to grow. The fact that Apple continues to improve the marketplace to make it better for developers and consumers will help ensure its importance moving forward.