On June 4, Apple reported that more than 40 of the top 100 apps by payment volume last year included consumer-facing AI features. The payment growth rate for these apps was four times higher than that of top apps without AI functionalities.
AI capabilities are not limited to chatbot applications. Apple noted that "AI features are spreading across a wide range of consumer apps, including document creation, image generation, productivity, search, and education." This indicates that AI is not only creating a separate app market but also driving payment expansion within existing apps.
The overall App Store ecosystem has also grown. Citing research from an analytics group, Apple revealed that the App Store generated $1.4 trillion in developer payments and revenue last year, an increase of about $100 billion from the previous year's $1.3 trillion.
By category, physical goods and services accounted for the largest share at $1.1 trillion. Digital goods and services totaled $149 billion, while in-app advertising reached $151 billion.
However, not all of this revenue is attributed to Apple. The company stated that developers did not pay a commission on more than 90% of the payments and revenue generated within the App Store ecosystem. This highlights that the App Store serves as a platform connecting not only app sales but also external transactions in shopping, travel, delivery, and advertising.
This announcement comes amid ongoing assessments that Apple's own AI services are lagging behind competitors. Instead of promoting its own AI apps, Apple is emphasizing its role in facilitating the distribution and payment flow of consumer AI services through the App Store.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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