With the ongoing pandemic keeping many people home during the holidays, owners of Apple devices opened their wallets and spent a record $540 million on the company’s App Store on New Year’s Day alone.
App Store sales of digital goods and services reached a whopping $1.8 billion in the weeklong period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the tech giant revealed on Wednesday, adding that the sales were driven mainly by spending on games.
“As the world navigated an ever-changing new normal of virtual learning, grocery deliveries, and drive-by birthday celebrations, customers relied on Apple services in new ways, turning to expertly curated apps, news, music, podcasts, TV shows, movies, and more to stay entertained, informed, connected, and fit,” Apple said in a message announcing the record spending.
The company said that videoconferencing service Zoom and on-demand video subscription service Disney+ were among the most downloaded apps of 2020, with both services picking up customers as the pandemic changed people’s daily habits.
Popular game downloads included titles such as Among Us and Roblox, according to Apple.
“In a year like none other, apps have become more essential than ever. Developers found new ways to keep people connected, help them learn and work from home, stay fit and well, and provide much-needed entertainment,” the iPhone maker said, adding that developers selling through the App Store have now earned more than $200 billion since the online store’s launch in 2008.
Many of the apps will have landed on Apple’s newest iPhone 12 handset, which launched toward the end of last year. All eyes are now on January 27, when Apple’s latest set of financial results — covering September through December 2020 — will reveal how well the new phone has been selling.
If you’re looking for some great games to play on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, be sure check out Digital Trends’ latest suggestions for the best ones available.
We also have a recently updated page highlighting some of the best apps for your Apple device.