At this rate, Apple would clock over 3 billion downloads in 2010 alone. Just 4 months after the total number of Appstore app downloads hit 2 bln, Apple today announced that it has crossed 3 billion app downloads on the iPhone / iPod touch platform.
Miles ahead of competition, Apple has no one to look upto as of now in the apps race. This makes me wonder in what direction would they now innovate to take the game to the next level? Perhaps the upcoming Apple tablet (Note: Rumored) would help Apple leverage the full potential of the App Store, while the competition catches up with the iPhone.
Many critics have argued that most apps on the App Store are free and thus gains no revenue for Apple. This might well be a thing of the past with Apple acquiring a competitive player in mobile advertising: Quattro. Quattro can help Apple push Ads in free apps and earn revenue for its developers aswell as itself, thus sidelining the current favorite Admob that has been acquired by Google (acquisition pending regulatory approvals).
Quattro’s technology can target ad campaigns based on consumer demographics, location, time of day and other factors. With the information Apple has about you (via your iTunes account or otherwise); Quattro’s can work extremely well. [OG].