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Apple iOS 16 Now Powers 81% Of Devices; App Store Generates US$1.1 Trillion For 2022

Apple isn’t new to being a dominating force. Between its intuitive, seamless ecosystem and range of devices, the industry giant has won over a league of fans, and it’s going to continue doing so. According to a new report on its developer website, 81 per cent of all Apple devices are now running on iOS 16, and that number rises to 90 per cent of all devices if you were to take into account only the devices introduced in the last four years.

Given that some older devices might not be able to run iOS, or that some folks might not have upgraded, this figure is a testament to Apple’s ability in rolling out its latest mobile operating system so effectively.

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Apple iOS 16 App Store

This news comes immediately after the Apple reported that the App Store generated a total of US$1.1 trillion in total billings and sales for 2022, marking a 29 per cent increase from the past year. App-based travel sales were the biggest winners, seeing an 84 per cent improvement and trailing ahead of general retail sales since 2020 (65 per cent raise), and ride-hailing figures (up by 45 per cent). Food and grocery sales have also more than doubled and tripled respectively since 2019.

What’s even more surprising is that Apple says that 90 per cent of the billings and sales went direct to developers and businesses of all sizes, with Apple receiving no commission from these transactions.

“We’ve never been more hopeful about — or more inspired by — the incredible community of developers around the world,” said CEO Tim Cook in a statement. “As this report shows, the App Store is a vibrant, innovative marketplace where opportunity thrives, and we’re as committed as ever to investing in developers’ success and the app economy’s future.”

The figures spell good news for Apple, which is celebrating 15 years of the App Store. Launched in 2008, the platform has grown from having only thousands of offerings at the end of that year to nearly 1.8 million — more than 123 times as many apps — in its repository now. Additionally, iOS users have downloaded over 370 billion apps since then.

Having established itself as the forerunner of the smartphone and IoT (Internet of Things) race, Apple certainly won’t make it easy for competition to get within its reach, especially with the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just right around the corner. Details are being kept under wraps, but one’s thing’s for sure: all the big guns will come out to set the stage ablaze.