Apple at a Crossroads on App Store’s 5th Anniversary
Apple loyalists have reason to celebrate this week: the consumer electronics giant decided to mark the fifth anniversary of the App Store by making at least nine popular apps free.
The Verge reported that the complimentary titles include games such as Infinity Blade II, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, Where’s My Water?, Badland and Tiny Wings, as well as Traktor DJ Day One, Over, How to Cook Everything, and Barefoot World Atlas. None of these applications have been free before.
Apple has yet to acknowledge that the offer is tied to the July 10 App Store anniversary, but it’s highly likely that it is. Given the time frame (as indicated by the celebratory posters the company sent out) it’s safe to assume that users have another two days – or possibly the entire week – to load their devices with premium software.
Apple has made a tremendous impact on mobility in both the consumer space and enterprise, and the App Store in particular has played a pivotal role in shaking off Nokia and BlackBerry’s grip on the industry and transforming it into the application-driven ecosystem we know today. There’s no doubt that the news from this morning will go down well with iPhone and iPad owners, but it’s much less certain that Apple will able to hold onto its momentum for another five years.
Last month, SiliconAngle’s Mike Wheatley reported that Google surpassed Apple as the most valuable company in the world. The latter is facing increased pressure to innovate, but it appears to be falling short with iOS 7. The upcoming operating system is perceived by some as an Android imitator: it packs many of the features already available with Google’s operating system, including certain interface elements and offline dictation.
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