Brit Wins Apple’s 10 Billion App Prize

A British woman from Orpington in Kent has won a prize for becoming the 10 billionth customer to download an application from Apple’s online App Store.

Gail Davis was awarded an iTunes gift card worth $10,000 (£6,250) for winning Apple’s ’10 Billion App Countdown’ competition. The app in question was a free game called Paper Glider, where users steer a paper aeroplane through various landscapes.

However, Davis admitted to BBC Radio 5 Live that it was her daughters that made the download. “I had no idea, when Apple called me. I thought it was a prank call and I declined to take it,” she said.

Davis realised she had made a mistake after speaking to her daughters, and luckily Apple called her back. “They said it’s not a joke and you are the winner”.

7 billion apps in a year

Apple has reached its 10 billion landmark just two and a half years after the App store opened in 2008. According to Apple, seven billion apps have been downloaded in the last year alone.

“The App Store has revolutionised how software is created, distributed, discovered and sold,” said said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. “While others try to copy the App Store, it continues to offer developers and customers the most innovative experience on the planet.”

The App Store offers more than 350,000 apps to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users in 90 countries around the world, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel apps.