Developer earnings from the App Store top $70 bn

Apple said on Thursday that its global developer community had earned over $70 billion since the App Store was launched in 2008.

"The App Store is home to the most innovative apps in the world and in the past 12 months alone, downloads have grown over 70 per cent," Apple said in a statement.

From hits like Pokémon GO and Super Mario Run to other launches such as CancerAid, SPACE by THIX, Zones for Training with Exercise Intensity, Vanido, Ace Tennis and Havenly, customers discover and experience new apps and games every day on the App Store, it said.

''People everywhere love apps and our customers are downloading them in record numbers,'' said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. ''Seventy billion dollars earned by developers is simply mind-blowing. We are amazed at all of the great new apps our developers create and can't wait to see them again next week at our Worldwide Developers Conference.''

Since the release of iOS 10 last year, iPhone and iPad users have also experienced new engaging and creative ways to connect, such as giving a friend a Starbucks gift card using Apple Pay, collaborating on a fashion design sketch using Prêt à Template or making someone smile with an endless assortment of stickers.

With the subscription business model now available to developers across all 25 app categories, the App Store's active paid subscriptions are up 58 per cent year over year, Apple said.

"Customers are enjoying subscriptions across a wide variety of services including longtime favorites such as Netflix and Hulu as well as newcomers like Tastemade, the modern, mobile-first cooking network, and photo editing apps like Over and Enlight," the statement said.

App Store developers from around the world create apps for customers in 155 countries that improve lives, rethink industries and shape culture. Gaming and

Entertainment are top-grossing categories, and Lifestyle apps as well as Health and Fitness have experienced over 70 per cent growth in the past year.

The Photo and Video category is also among Apple's fastest-growing app category at nearly 90 per cent growth.

Apple revolutionised personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple offers the iconic iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Apple's four software platforms - iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS - provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud.