With WWDC right around the corner, Apple is jumping the gun with sharing some of their mind-boggling statistics when it comes to the App Store. Since the launch of the App Store in 2008, Apple has paid App Store developers seventy billion dollars. Additionally, app download rates continue to soar with Apple seeing an increase of 70% in overall downloads this year alone. Apple typically kicks off their WWDC keynote (which is Monday at 10:00 AM Pacific) boasting about how great everything is going, so don’t be surprised to hear even more crazy statistics like this next week.
One stat I’d be particularly interested in seeing is how that $70 billion breaks down amongst developers. From the trends we’ve seen on the App Store and the experiences we’ve heard from indie developers lately, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if that $70B has gone to a single-digit percentage of the currently registered Apple developers. “We’ve paid $70B to developers" sounds like an amazing stat, but I’m not sure it’s indicative of overall market health, rather, I’m reasonably certain all it’s really illustrating is the incredible money making machines that Supercell, Machine Zone, and others have managed to create on mobile.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool that mobile has seen smash hits like Pokemon Go (Free), Clash of Clans (Free), and similar… But with premium games all but becoming extinct in an ecosystem that only supports the top-end of the App Store with big-budget free to play, I’m not sure there’s tons to brag about. But, eh, we’ve ranted about this so many times now there’s not much point in getting into it again.
[via MacRumors]
Still no force touch?
The thing is a beast on terms of power, but I think I can go another generation with my iPad Air 2 which is still great.
I'm thinking the same thing. Unless I was able to score a special deal. :)
I'm hooked for life on the 13" size, especially for games/video/art, but 10.5" in (nearly) the old small form factor does sound pretty good! I can one-hand the 13" but it's awkward.
Looks like we'll have to wait until next year for the real iPad Pro redesign, based on this year's new iPhone 8 with OLED, 3D Touch, integrated TouchID/home button, etc.
I wasn't expecting much of a redesign, other the the introduction of another variant in the iPad line.
Other then spec bumps, a major redesign would most likely co-incident with the iPads 10 year anniversary, some what like is happening with the iPhone 8 this year.
I don't think Apple can wait until 2020 to give the iPad line the boost/reboot it desperately needs.
USB?!
USB!!!
Yeah,
That I don't get.
I have a 9.7" Pro but the extra screen real-estate with the same frame is what I'm looking for in an iPad. The 256GB version is a good deal in terms of price. The only cons are that iOS 11 is MUST to take advantage of the new speeds and screen size plus that wait will be painful. I use the pencil often but again I have to wait to use the new features.
Do we really need these devices to be more and more powerful?? It seems to me that the games aren't getting all that much more demanding. It's like the specs are far exceeding what the games need. The iPhone 6 can pretty much play everything an iPhone 7 can just as well as it. Correct me if I'm wrong!
Correcting ;) More graphics power in a mobile package is great news. Another step closer to consoles, and even the average gaming PC (NOT high-end ones, mind you).
Nimian Legends Brightridge is the current benchmark for iOS graphics, 4k resolution, a ton of special effects, the whole package. And it even makes the current iPad Pro sweat: with all bells and whistles and highest resolution on, it doesn't run even on that. Maybe in another iPad generation - or even two - devs will be able to just switch on everything current IDEs like Unity offer for mobile.
Or look at Wavelight's Demon's Rise 2, or the upcoming Warhammer Quest 2: both really graphics-heavy, especially with environmental graphics and effects.
But for Joe Average who only browses Facebook, watches Youtube and reads emails, even an iPad 2 (the old one, NOT the Air 2) is good enough in terms of performance. Those users don't need all the extra boom, agreed. But that's very much like the difference between a basic "Internet PC" for 200 bucks, and a gaming monster for 2000: completely different tasks and target groups.
Bottom line: you can never have enough power, someone will always find a use for it ;).