Month: June 2023

Meta Quest 3 Coming This Fall + Lower Prices for Quest 2

CompuScoop Staff June 1, 2023 0

Mark Zuckerberg just announced Meta Quest 3, our next-generation virtual and mixed reality headset, which launches later this year. It features higher resolution, stronger performance, breakthrough Meta Reality technology, and a slimmer, more comfortable form factor. Quest 3 will ship in all countries where Meta Quest is currently supported this fall. The 128GB headset starts at $499.99 USD, and we’ll offer an additional storage option for those who want some extra space. Mark your calendars because we’ll have lots more to share at Meta Connect, which returns this year on September 27.

Quest 3 is the supercharged all-in-one headset you’ve been waiting for — no wires required. Sign up to be the first to learn about Meta Quest 3.

Our Most Powerful Headset Yet

Quest 3 combines our highest resolution display and pancake optics to make content look better than ever. To power those extra pixels, this will be the first headset to feature a next-generation Snapdragon chipset developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies. That next-gen Snapdragon chipset delivers more than twice the graphical performance as the previous generation Snapdragon GPU in Quest 2 — meaning you’ll get smoother performance and incredibly crisp details in immersive games.

Immersive VR + Breakthrough Meta Reality in a Single Device

On Quest 3, our best-in-class Meta Reality technology lets you seamlessly blend your physical world with the virtual one. These new experiences go beyond today’s mixed reality by intelligently understanding and responding to objects in your physical space and allowing you to navigate that space in natural, intuitive ways that were nearly impossible before. High-fidelity color Passthrough, innovative machine learning, and spatial understanding let you interact with virtual content and the physical world simultaneously, creating limitless possibilities to explore. Now you can play a virtual board game on your kitchen table with Demeo, decorate your living room with virtual art courtesy of Painting VR, or dive into a fully immersive world to do things that are simply not possible otherwise.

Quest 3 makes Meta Reality available to even more people and at a lower price point, making it our first mass-market offering to deliver both cutting-edge VR and MR experiences in a single device, setting a new benchmark for future headsets.

Redesigned for Comfort + Control

With a 40% slimmer optic profile* compared to Quest 2, Quest 3 is a sleeker, more comfortable headset. We also completely redesigned Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers with a more streamlined and ergonomic form factor. Thanks to our advances in tracking technology, we’ve dropped the outer tracking rings so the controllers feel like a more natural extension of your hands and take up less space. We also included TruTouch haptics that first debuted in Touch Pro to help you feel the action like never before. You can even upgrade to our fully self-tracked Meta Quest Touch Pro Controllers for a premium experience. And hand tracking will be supported out of the box, so you can explore without controllers, thanks to Direct Touch that lets you use just your hands to interact with virtual objects.

World’s Best Library of Immersive Content

Quest 3 is compatible with the Quest 2 catalog of over 500 VR games, apps, and experiences (and counting), and we’ve got even more exciting new VR and MR titles lined up for launch. That means Quest 3 will have the world’s best library of immersive experiences on day one. Be sure to tune in to today’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase for a rundown of new games and updates coming to the Quest Platform — plus a sneak peek at Quest 3’s AAA flagship adventure.

Quest 2 Gets New Lower Prices, Plus a Performance Upgrade

We’re excited for Quest 3 and look forward to sharing more later this year at Connect. But what about Quest 2?

Meta Quest 2 changed the face of VR when it first hit the scene in 2020, ushering in a new era of gaming, fitness, and more. It’s already one of the most affordable ways to get into VR — and it’s about to get even better. Starting June 4, we’re lowering the price of Quest 2 to $299.99 USD for the 128GB SKU and $349.99 USD for the 256GB SKU, helping even more people access the magic of all-in-one VR and our vast content library.

But that’s not all! In an upcoming software update, we’re updating the Quest 2 and Quest Pro GPU and CPU. Quest 2 and Pro will see an up-to 26% CPU performance increase with an up-to 19% GPU speed increase for Quest 2 and 11% for Quest Pro. As developers take advantage of these changes, you can expect smoother gameplay, a more responsive UI, and richer content on both headsets. And we’re enabling Dynamic Resolution Scaling for both Quest 2 and Quest Pro, so games and apps can take advantage of increased pixel density without dropping frames.

While Quest 3 sets a new standard for mixed reality, immersive gaming, and what a mainstream VR headset can be, Quest 2 remains our most affordable entry point to VR and Pro is optimized for work use cases, with face and eye tracking for more authentic self-expression in meetings. We’ll continue to sell Quest 2 and Pro alongside Quest 3, as well as continue shipping new software updates to make the Quest experience even better.

From games, to fitness apps, professional collaboration tools and more, Quest has something for everyone. And we can’t wait to welcome even more people to the Meta Quest community.

 App Store developers generated $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem in 2022

Apple Inc June 1, 2023 0

May 31, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

App Store developers generated $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem in 2022

More than 90 percent of billings and sales accrued solely to developers, without any commission paid to Apple

New study underscores the strength and resilience of the App Store ecosystem — with billings and sales facilitated by the App Store growing 29 percent year over year

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the App Store ecosystem facilitated $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022, building on developers’ track record of strong, resilient growth, an independent study by economists from Analysis Group found. The App Store continues to create incredible opportunity for developers around the world, with more than 90 percent of the billings and sales accruing solely to developers and businesses of all sizes — without any commission paid to Apple. Additionally, new analysis from the Progressive Policy Institute found the iOS app economy now supports more than 4.8 million jobs across the U.S. and Europe, with approximately 2.4 million in each region.

Today, developers on the App Store have more ways than ever to monetize their apps and build successful businesses. The economists from Analysis Group estimate that last year, App Store developers generated $910 billion in total billings and sales from the sale of physical goods and services, $109 billion from in-app advertising, and $104 billion for digital goods and services.

“We’ve never been more hopeful about — or more inspired by — the incredible community of developers around the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “As this report shows, the App Store is a vibrant, innovative marketplace where opportunity thrives, and we’re as committed as ever to investing in developers’ success and the app economy’s future.”

The Analysis Group study takes a closer look at the key drivers behind the growth in the App Store ecosystem — including rebounding demand for sectors like travel and ride-hailing, and strong growth in advertising spend in apps like social media and retail apps.

Developer billings and sales increased by 27 percent between 2019 and 2020; 27 percent between 2020 and 2021; and 29 percent between 2021 and 2022. Small developers in particular found tremendous success on the App Store — outpacing larger developers by growing their revenue by 71 percent between 2020 and 2022. The economists at Analysis Group believe growth rates of this kind are positive indicators, consistent with a flourishing marketplace full of dynamism, innovation, and competition.

All told, since 2019, U.S. developers’ billings and sales have increased by more than 80 percent. In Europe, developers’ billings and sales since 2019 saw an above average increase of 116 percent.

The App Store’s engine of commerce provides Apple developers around the world with a global distribution platform that supports more than 195 local payment methods and 44 currencies across 175 storefronts. It also allowed developers to reach users across borders: In 2022, 54 percent of downloads occurred in storefronts outside of developers’ home countries. The App Store attracted over 650 million average weekly visitors worldwide in 2022, according to new data from Apple. And users downloaded and redownloaded apps an average of more than 747 million and 1.5 billion times each week in 2022, respectively.

Strong Growth in Billings and Sales Across App Categories

Released earlier today, the new study from economists at Analysis Group, titled “The Continued Growth and Resilience of Apple’s App Store Ecosystem,” draws from a wide range of economic data that speaks to developers’ growth on the App Store. The study found developers’ billings and sales facilitated by the App Store grew across a wide variety of categories.

For example, as restrictions eased in many parts of the world, app categories like travel and ride-hailing saw demand rebound significantly. Travel sales made on iOS apps increased by 84 percent in 2022, alongside a 45 percent increase in sales on ride-hailing apps.

Food and grocery sales were also among the fastest-growing app categories. Since 2019, iOS app-based food delivery and pickup sales more than doubled, and grocery sales more than tripled. In addition, enterprise apps have grown in popularity with companies around the world in the last few years. In 2022, these apps represented one of the fastest-growing digital goods and services categories in Analysis Group’s estimate of billings and sales. The highest growth in digital goods and services was seen in the app-based entertainment category, as notable trends like the creator economy have emerged in recent years, as well as the prominence of apps that support this area.

The broad-based growth of developer businesses — across app categories — speaks to the many ways Apple users have come to rely on their favorite apps in so many aspects of their lives. Whether for gaming or productivity, education or social media, apps are helping people around the world stay connected, creative, and entertained.

The App Store Turns Fifteen

Fifteen years since its launch in 2008, the App Store has never offered developers more opportunities, or Apple users more apps that enrich their lives. That success comes as Apple continues investing in the future of the app economy. By offering a safe and trusted marketplace for users, and powerful tools that help developers make great apps, the App Store has created an incredible economic opportunity for global app creators.

All told, iOS developers have earned more than $320 billion on the App Store from 2008 to 2022. The Analysis Group study found that iOS users have downloaded apps more than 370 billion times from 2008 to 2022. And today, the App Store has more than 123 times as many apps — nearly 1.8 million — to choose from, compared to the thousands available on the App Store at the end of 2008.

Today’s developers also have more options to monetize their businesses, including in-app purchases and subscriptions; more developer tools, including over 40 SDKs and 250,000 APIs; and educational resources like Apple’s Developer Academies, Entrepreneur Camp, and other programs that teach coding and business development skills.

The App Store’s technologies and services support a wide range of app businesses, including developers who sell physical goods and services. That includes integration with Apple Pay, biometric authentication with Face ID and Touch ID, account security, and other technologies that help developers securely connect with Apple users.

The App Store has also remained a safe and trusted marketplace for users, thanks to Apple’s rigorous App Review process and robust privacy and security protections. In 2022, the App Store blocked more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions — and rejected 1.7 million app submissions for failing to meet privacy, security, and quality standards. Recent innovations, like App Tracking Transparency and Privacy Nutrition Labels, have empowered users with even more information on how their apps use their data.

About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.