Eddy Cue promises ‘much more’ to come for Apple services

Apple VP Services Eddy Cue has published a short letter to celebrate what he calls a “groundbreaking year” for Apple services, music, apps, and TV+.

Cue also unleashed some statistics that should be of interest to those who watch Apple services.

Apple Services in statistics

The biggest news is that Apple is closing in on a billion paid subscriptions across its entire range of services – it currently has 900 million customers to these.

Cue also pointed out that Apple has paid developers selling digital good and services $320 billion since 2008. When it comes to the App Store, the letter claims over 650 million visitors each week.

And while saying nothing Apple said a lot, disclosing that the 2022 holiday shopping season saw a “record-breaking number of purchases made using Apple Pay globally.” It remains to be seen what that non-number signifies.

There were some additional statistics:

• Over 50 new Apple Arcade titles were introduced in 2022
• Over 300 updates and expansions to existing Arcade games also appeared.
• Apple TV+ generated 300 wins and 1,305 nominations.
• Apple Music now has over 100 million songs – 100,000 times the “1,000 songs in your pocket”, Apple promised when it introduced iPod.
• Monthly plays of Spatial Audio content have grown by 1,000%.

[Also read: Rumor claims Apple TV app is coming to Android]

• Shazam was used to identify 70 billion tracks in 2022.
• Apple Books now hosts 10 million titles.
• We also recently learned that UK Apple News usage has doubled since 2020.

‘We must stand up for the change we want to see’

Cue seemed passionate to explain what Apple is trying to do with services, pointing to the company’s own values he cites the need to make products for everyone, to protect privacy, to keep people secure and to nurture an inclusive culture.

“We believe that a culture where everybody belongs can drive innovation, and that we must stand up for the change we want to see in the world,” he wrote.

He also reflects on how TV+ has attempted to tell stories that reflect our collective humanity. “And believe me: There’s much more to come. Moments to anticipate, enjoy, and reflect upon. Moments that will have us jumping up with excitement or at the edge of our seats, or that make us want to get up and dance. Moments that can create lasting memories and bring us closer to one another,” he said.

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