In brief
US iOS users download an average of 30 apps annually and spend around US$40 on paid downloads. The figures reported in February 2017 highlight the growing importance of software ecosystem revenue to Apple, with gaming leading spending and Netflix recording strong growth through iOS subscriptions.
Smartphones make up a market in which, although Apple iOS has a market share of only around 20%, App Store revenue is nevertheless 75% higher than that of Google Play. According to the latest figures released, approximately 130 million iOS devices are still in use across the United States. Users download an average of 30 apps each year and spend an average of around US$40 on paid downloads.
The most profitable category is, of course, gaming apps, which account for as much as US$27 of that spending, followed by entertainment content. Netflix began expanding onto mobile platforms in 2015. Revenue from subscriptions to its service through iOS devices reached US$7.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. By the fourth quarter of 2016, that revenue had exceeded US$58 million.
The US data shows that revenue from the software ecosystem has become an increasingly important part of Apple's business. This revenue is also very stable. iOS apps have played a major role in the iPhone's success, with the two reinforcing each other to build Apple's smartphone empire.
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