Apple is, without a doubt, the “culprit” for the amazing growth of the smartphone industry that we have seen in the last decade. The smartphones of the pre-iPhone era were mostly aimed at business users, offering features like spreadsheets, databases, and such to busy businessmen on the road. It was the iPhone’s shift of focus that turned the smartphones into a device useful and desirable for the everyday user, and it was the “app”, also introduced by Apple, that made it the flexible and multifaceted device we use and love today. So, from Super Monkey Ball, released in 2008, to the Betway mobile app for Android and Apple, let’s take a look at the most popular iPhone apps to ever hit the App Store.
The most downloaded game: Candy Crush Saga
When a game is this addictive, it’s not a surprise that it occupies the top spot in the list of the most downloaded free games ever to be launched through the App Store. Candy Crush Saga, built by King.com (later acquired by WarCraft maker Activision Blizzard) is the most downloaded app ever. Even today, it is downloaded by almost 15,000 smartphone owners each day, generating a lot of buzz – and a lot of revenue – for its publisher.
Subway Surfers, Fruit Ninja, Clash of Clans, and Honour of Kings are also in the top 5.
The most profitable app: Clash of Clans
Finnish game developer Supercell has made quite a lot of waves with the release of Clash of Clans – and it has proven to be a great decision. With more than $1 million in revenues generated daily, it has become the most profitable app in the App Store when it comes to user spending and stayed there for years.
Also in the top 5, we find games like Candy Crush Saga, Monster Strike, Puzzle & Dragons, and Honour of Kings.
The most downloaded app: Facebook
While there is a lot of talk about how Facebook’s usage is declining, especially among youngsters, it’s still one of the strongest brands in the world. And it’s very popular among iPhone users: between 2010 and 2017, it was the most downloaded app in the App Store, followed by its instant messaging counterpart, Messenger. We find two more Facebook properties in the top 5: Instagram and WhatsApp Messenger, with the only app made by another company on the list being Google’s YouTube.
The app with the most consumer spend: Netflix
Netflix is now a worldwide service, offering video streaming to pretty much anyone – for a fee. This also makes it the app that generates the most consumer spending in the App Store, followed by music streaming services Spotify and Pandora Music, China’s video streaming service Tencent Video, and dating sensation Tinder.
For more interesting details about the history of apps in Apple’s App Store, take a look at this report by App Annie.
