Microsoft Published 75,000 Windows Phone Apps in 2012

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Whether or not Windows Phone can compete with Android and iOS will depend on apps.

As 2012 comes to an end, Microsoft finds itself in a reflective mood, looking back at what it's accomplished in the past year and what its plans are for 2013. One of Microsoft's biggest areas of focus in 2012 has been mobile, and towards that end, the Redmond outfit published 75,000 new Windows Phone apps and games to effectively more than double the catalog size, and over 300,000 app updates.
"Windows Phone customers now download, buy, and use more apps than at any time since we first launched Windows Phone 7 two years ago," Microsoft said in a blog post. "On average Windows Phone users have downloaded 54 apps each to personalize their phone experience around the people and information they care about most."
That's a mighty positive spin for a platform that trails far behind Android and iOS in user adoption and app count, but it also suggests that Windows Phone is anything but a passing fancy for Microsoft.
Looking ahead to 2013, Microsoft believes there's plenty of reasons why developers should take note of Windows Phone. Chief among them is that developer revenue month-over-month jumped 40 percent in the 30 days since releasing the SDK for Windows Phone 8.
"We exit 2012 with a new foundation firmly in place, a huge expansion in developer opportunity, and a great new product in Windows Phone 8, which is receiving acclaim by both industry and consumers," Microsoft added. "There has never been a better time to develop for Windows Phone."
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