Apple App Store Sales Hit $10bn For 2013

The tech giant announces a record-breaking December and says app developers have now pulled in more than $15bn (£9bn). 

Apple says it sold $10bn (£6.1bn) of apps last year, including $1bn (£610m) in December alone. The festive sales translate to more than three billion app purchases in one month - a new record for the App Store - and includes downloads to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Developers have now made a total of $15bn (£9.1bn) by producing apps, the California-based company said. Apple takes a 30% cut from every sale, so has made $4.5bn for its own coffers. Candy Crush Saga, the hit from UK developer King, was one of 2013's biggest hits, along with the likes of Puzzles & Dragons and Minecraft. This time last year, Apple did not give a 2012 sales total, but said more than 775,000 apps had been created. That figure has now topped a million. However, most apps are thought to receive very few downloads, with the bulk coming from a relatively small group of big sellers. Google's Play Store - which sells apps for Android phones and tablets - has not yet released figures for 2013. But a Forbes report last year suggested it had already surpassed Apple on quarterly downloads.