HISTORY OF DEV

July 10, 2008

iPhone App Store opens

Apple opened the App StoreApple's marketplace for iOS apps — centralized distribution and in-app purchases on iPhone. on July 10, 2008 — letting third-party developers sell native iPhoneApple's smartphone line — touch-first mobile computing and the App Store ecosystem since 2007. apps to consumers.

What it was for

App Store (Apple)The App StoreApple's marketplace for iOS apps — centralized distribution and in-app purchases on iPhone. turned the iPhoneApple's smartphone line — touch-first mobile computing and the App Store ecosystem since 2007. from a phone with a browser into a platform — Objective-CA language combining C with Smalltalk-style object messaging — used for macOS and iOS before Swift. and later SwiftApple's language for iOS, macOS, and server apps — designed for safety and performance. SDKs, in-app purchases, and review gates. Indie developers and startups built businesses on mobile apps; 'there's an app for that' became the default UX pattern. AndroidGoogle's open mobile operating system — the dominant platform for smartphones worldwide. Market (later Google Play) followed the same model.

Companies

  • Apple

Why it's here

The App StoreApple's marketplace for iOS apps — centralized distribution and in-app purchases on iPhone. invented mainstream mobile app distribution and monetization.

Why it mattered

It created the native mobile developer career path and app economy alongside the web.

What it solved

Early iPhones had no sanctioned way for developers to ship software to users at scale.

Media

  • App Store (Apple)
    ImageApp Store (Apple)

    Apple, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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