The artificial intelligence (AI) boom has been a boon for Apple. Ahead of Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, the Cupertino giant announced that its App Store ecosystem facilitated US$1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales globally in 2025, with more than 40 of the top 100 apps featuring consumer-facing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and showing stronger billing growth.
The figure – over 90 percent of which was commission-free – marks a nearly threefold increase since the platform’s inception in 2019 and comes as part of Apple’s efforts to make AI more accessible to users. Health and fitness apps, for instance, can use on-device intelligence to offer personalised recommendations, while photo and video editing leverage cloud-based models to automate tasks. For developers, features such as agentic coding in Xcode 26 make it easier to design, build, and ship apps through streamlined workflows.
While the App Store saw over 850 million average weekly users spanning 175 countries and regions, spending patterns varied by market. Physical goods and services remained the dominant category of spending across the board, but travel was the second-largest in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. In contrast, food delivery and pickup, alongside grocery and food delivery, took second place in Korea and China, respectively.
In light of the record-breaking feat, Apple will continue to expand its storefront ecosystem and developer support infrastructure. There are currently around 20 Apple Developer Academies in Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the U.S., and a new Apple Developer Center is set to open in Berlin later this year. Apple Developer Centers also hosted thousands of developers in the U.S., China, India, and Singapore in 2025, with dozens of Apple Foundation Programs equipping the next generation of developers with skills in coding, AI, design, and marketing.
When WWDC kicks off on 9 June, the company is expected to introduce new features, APIs, and technologies that further enhance app development across its platforms. Developers and students can also look forward to more than 100 video sessions covering tools, design, and technologies, as well as Group Labs and discussions on Apple Developer Forums.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Kevin Low
