Apple has paid $8B to developers, Cook says

CEO Tim Cook, speaking during a Goldman Sachs conference, says the company has "enormous momentum" in the market because of its strong app ecosystem.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor

Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."

See full bio

Shara Tibken

Feb. 12, 2013 8:12 a.m. PT

The amount of money Apple has paid to developers continues to soar, with the company having already distributed $8 billion to app makers, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said today.

Cook, speaking during a Goldman Sachs conference, said Apple has "enormous momentum" in the smartphone market, and a big reason for that is the ecosystem around the company's devices.

"We built an ecosystem that is the best customer experience on the planet," Cook said.

The $8 billion compares to Apple's comments in January that the developers had made more than $7 billion from Apple's App Store. At that time, the company also noted that its store topped 40 billion downloads, with almost half coming in 2012.

One of the key advantages Apple has over rivals is the number of apps available in its online store. A healthy app ecosystem can make or break an operating system, and keeping developers happy in terms of the money they're making is key.

"You don't see a lot of people doing PC apps," Cook said today. "The innovation has all moved to tablets and smartphones."