Apple publishes case study that shows financial success of third-party apps, even comparing those to Apple's own apps.
Third-party apps are the only options for consumers for entire types of apps, including social networking, dating services, travel planning, and food and drink.
Leaders in app types often vary across countries, with many regional leaders outperforming their globally competitive counterparts.
Third-party apps are the most popular among iPhone users in most regions for major app types, including music streaming, TV and movie streaming, reading, communication, and mapping apps.
Across many app types, Apple’s own apps account for a relatively small share of app usage among iPhone users. This is the case even though some Apple apps are preinstalled to enable core functionality of the device.
iPhone users often use multiple apps within a single category, especially apps for communicating, reading the news, watching videos, or navigating — underscoring how easily users can switch between apps and the breadth of opportunity for developers.
Apple
Apple Newsroom: Report finds third-party apps see global success on the App Store
Full report (PDF): The Success of Third-Party Apps on the App Store
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