A recent AdMob study which led many to extrapolate that Apple makes something in the neighborhood of $2.4 billion from the app store is utter nonsense, the Cult of Mac blog is reporting, based on feedback from developers and Analyst Carl Howe of Yankee Group.
“I’ve spoken with other developers who have apps in the top 100 lists of various other categories,” said David Barnard of App Cubby, a developer based in Austin, Texas. “My rough, but informed estimation: The App Store grosses between $250 and $500 million per year.”
“Our numbers line up with the developers you cited, not the $2.4 billion number,” Howe wrote to Cult of Mac editor Leander Kahney. “We don’t have numbers for publication yet. But we will really soon and they sure aren’t $2.4 billion.”
Epicenter blog picked up the story via Om Malik's GigaOm blog, which AdMob has emailed "to sorta defend it’s estimate," Kahney writes. "The data is publicly accessible and the methodology clearly explained, AdMob said, without putting up a spirited defense. 'It is always difficult to size a fast growing market, and we view our survey results as just one of the many data points that can be used to do that.'"
See Also:
- How Big Is the Apple iPhone App Economy? | GigaOm
- Pure Play iPhone App Startups Attract $100 Million in VC Bucks
- Billionth iPhone App Downloader Scores Freebies; Developer Wins Too
UPDATED: Developers Call BS On $2.4B iPhone App Store Number | Cult of Mac.
