Definition: Apple App Store

Apple's online store for downloading free and paid iPhone, iPod touch and iPad applications from third-party developers as well as Apple itself. Launched with the iPhone 3G in 2008, the App Store is accessible from the mobile device, and it is integrated into Apple's iTunes software.

Not Just a Success - A Revolution
The App Store started a revolution in mobile computing. Within 10 months, some 35,000 free and paid apps were available, and downloads passed the one billion mark. In January 2011, with more than 300,000 titles in the catalog, a woman in England downloaded the ten billionth app, and Apple awarded her a $10,000 iTunes gift card.

This single point of focus for delivering smartphone apps was later followed with the debut of app stores for the Android, BlackBerry and Windows phone platforms (see online app store). See Mac App Store, iPhone, iPhone jailbreaking and iTunes.

The App Store

In the summer of 2008, the App Store was added to the iTunes Store offerings and caused an explosion of smartphone awareness worldwide.