Apps & Software

China Downloads More Apple Apps Than US

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: October 23, 2016 6:38 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 2:03 am

A website called App Annie claims the Chinese downloaded more Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) apps from the Apple App Store than Americans did in the third quarter, as measured by dollars. The site calls the data a milestone.

According to App Annie:

This past quarter was full of game-changing apps and unprecedented growth in revenue for iOS. China shattered iOS revenue records with the highest reported this quarter to date for any country. China also not only maintained its spot as #1 for Games (which it earned last quarter), it is now the largest market in the world for iOS App Store revenue, earning a record $1.7 billion.

Now leading the United States by over 15%, China’s growth is projected to climb further by 2020.

The site offers a download of the full report, which is very hard to find.

As for specific Chinese interests:

While revenue from Games accounts for the majority of revenue generated in China, other prominent categories like Entertainment and Social Networking are making strides and have more than tripled in the past year. Video streaming apps in China have had a major impact on the Entertainment category as a whole, and include further integrations into traditional cable spaces with investments in smart TV and original content.

To some extent, the news should not be a surprise. A look at the Apple App Store shows the five most downloaded paid apps are games.