Before Apple’s iPhone launched, there were a few mediocre novelty apps. The first one was iGirl, which displayed a 3D female model who would dance and talk to you in response to your touch or gesture. The app was so popular, in fact, that it was named as one of the worst iPhone apps of all time by Appolicious in 2010. Yet, despite its mediocre quality, it did enjoy a colossal number of downloads, especially considering that it didn’t support audio, video, or music.
In 2007, the iPhone App Store was just a year old. It was the Wild West of software development. Some developers saw an opportunity to make quick cash by turning venerable websites and desktop programs into mobile apps. Others came up with completely new ideas and made them free to download. This trend has continued to this day. Today, the iPhone App Store is a thriving marketplace for third-party apps.
Final Thought
In 2007, Steve Jobs’ iPhone was still running over a dozen built-in apps. There was a ton of empty space on the Home screen where apps and rows of apps could fit. Now, the App Store is home to hundreds of thousands of apps, and the App Store has brought in more than $3 billion for Apple. However, the popularity of the iPhone has also led to a growing number of developers looking for ways to make money from their iPhone apps.
