‘Pokémon Go’ was the most downloaded iPhone app worldwide in 2016

“Pokémon Go” and “Super Mario Go,” Nintendo’s first experiments with bringing its characters to Apple devices, both ended up in the top 10 iOS apps downloaded worldwide in 2016, Apple announced on Thursday.

“Pokémon Go,” which Apple calls a “cultural phenomenon,” was the most downloaded iOS app, Apple said in a press release. But Mario is also popular, and “Super Mario Go” was the most downloaded app on Christmas and New Year’s Day. 

Apple’s developers were able to rake in $20 billion in 2016, which was up 40% from last year, Apple also announced. Given that Apple takes a roughly 30% cut of what developers sell, this implies that the App Store grossed somewhere around $28 billion last year. 

This year, Apple started to take a smaller cut of App Store revenue if developers offer a subscription option. Apple said its subscription business grossed $2.7 billion. Apple also said that its new App Store search ads are effective with a 50% conversion rate. 

Apple suggests that 2017 will be a bigger year for its App Store business, which it sees as a critical way to keep revenue and margin up in the face of declining iPhone sales. January 1st was a record-setting day, according to Apple, with $240 million in App Store purchases.

Business Insider