Apple claims three billion App Store downloads

Firm continues to dominate online app sales

Around a fifth of App Store downloads are games

Apple has said that three billion applications have now been downloaded from its App Store, making it the most popular source for code.

Over 100,000 different applications have been made available on the App Store since its launch 18 months ago , around a fifth of which are games. Apple users in 77 countries can download from the store.

"Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months. This is like nothing we've ever seen before," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive.

"The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon."

Apple's publicity of its success will increase the pressure on other applications stores.

Research in Motion's BlackBerry Apps World, Google's Android Market, Microsoft's Mobile Marketplace for Windows, Nokia's Ovi Store, Orange's Application Shop, Samsung's Application Store and Palm's Apps Catalog are all growing slowly, and none has the support of Apple's App Store, although Android has released promis ing figures.

The growth of alternative application stores will also be helped by some in the development community who feel hard done by over Apple's refusal to sell certain kinds of applications.

Last year major developers started to say publically that they would not develop for Apple's App Store unless the company changed its practices, and started a web site to discuss alternatives.