A billion iPhone apps downloaded. Coming soon.

Could it be Apple has delivered almost a billion iPhone/iPod touch apps (both free and paid)? The answer is a definite yes, and Apple has posted a page counting down (or counting up, really) to the big event. As I write this they're at 928 million apps and change.

It's an amazing number, and Apple is celebrating the event with a contest. Fill out a form, no purchase required, and have a chance to win a $10,000US iTunes gift card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule and a MacBook Pro. Apple will let you enter up to 25 times a day (!) until the billionth app is sold. Gee, I could use an app that could automate all those entries. (Clarification: Downloading an app from now until the contest closes counts as an entry. You can do that 25 times per day.)

Apple also has a link to the top selling free and paid apps (link opens iTunes). FYI, the most popular free apps are Facebook, Google Earth and Pandora. The most popular paid apps are Crash Bandicot Nitro Cart 3D, Koi Pond and Enigmo.

When Apple hits that billionth app it will be a big deal, and stand by for a big blast of publicity and commentary. It will also spark more conversation about the copycats who are jumping in the pool at Microsoft, RIM and Google (Android).

Congrats Apple. How long will it be before you hit 2 billion?

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Source: http://www.apple.com/itunes/billion-app-countdown/

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Cult of Mac Apple iPhone App Store iPod touch

Could it be Apple has delivered almost a billion iPhone/iPod touch apps (both free and paid)? The answer is a definite yes, and Apple has...

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Bill Mac

please... Please... PLEASE.... let the 1 billionth app be a free fart app! :P

April 13 2009 at 1:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Noah

The reason they have the 25 limit a day is to stop someone from creating a script to download/buy ALL the 99 cent or free apps when the number of apps sold gets up to 999,999,100.

Since there's a limit of 25 a day, it gives everyone a "fair" chance to be the billionth person to download an app and win the prize.

April 12 2009 at 3:08 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mirc

http://www.mirckeyfi.net thanks admin

April 11 2009 at 7:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

seisto

Regardless of all the fine print mumbo-jumbo, it says 25 entries per day, pretty cut and dry. It doesn't explain that you only get to fill out the form once and then have to download 24 more apps.

Therefore, it's a bit absurd that after one entry through the site it's telling me I am out of entries for the day. I know this has been covered and bickered about by people who don't know anymore than the next person, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Or maybe I'm losing my mind.

April 10 2009 at 6:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Grammar Police

â€œYou have entered to [sic] many times todayâ€

Seriously?

April 10 2009 at 5:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mart

"to many times"? Non-USA length post codes busting the form? Nice testing before this was released.

April 10 2009 at 4:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

stirwin

Typical. Another Apple form that assumes the whole world comes from the USA and can't be filled in if your postcode is "too long".

April 10 2009 at 4:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to stirwin's comment

Swimatm

Apple is an American corporation.

April 10 2009 at 5:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Noah

If you read carefully, it says the winner is the first person to buy the billionth app (and/or fill out the form).

Section 5: The prize will be awarded for the entry sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app.

So yeah. Filling out the content form before the 99,999,999th app is sold is pointless.

It's really all about timing :)

April 10 2009 at 4:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

3 replies to Noah's comment

luxelogic

Regardless of the odds, this campaign is pure genius. I'm playing! (Now, if only the web form would accept more than one submission...)

April 10 2009 at 1:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

MJZimmer88

Yes, but if you enter 25 times a day until they hit a billion (or a million bajillion...) then you will have like a 1575/70,000,000 chance of winning... (0.00225% chance to win)

~1,000,000,000 apps/ ~912 days since inception of app store = ~1.1 Million apps sold per day... therefore there are about 63 days left... times 25 entries a day = 1575 entries

Hurray really rough math!

If you pair up with 45,000 of your closest friends, you may actually have a chance to win!

April 10 2009 at 1:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply