Back in October, Microsoft announced its expectation that over 100,000 apps would populate the Windows 8 marketplace by the end of 2012. According to a recent press release the company has surpassed that goal. Now reaching upwards of 150,000 apps, the ecosystem grew by over 75,000 apps and 300,000 app updates over the last year, alongside a 40 percent monthly growth in developer revenue.
The company's Windows Phone Developer Blog, in an effort to drum up app developer support, touts its inclusion of in-app purchase capabilities and the inclusion of new billing carriers such as PayPal and AliPay.
The blog post reads, "Over the course of 2012 we expanded the number of markets where users can get apps and games for their Windows Phones by over 5x, from 35 markets at the start of the year, to 63 with the spring release to over 95 and counting with Windows Phone 7.8 and finally to 191 markets with Windows Phone 8."
The Nokia Lumia 920, which leads the charge of Windows 8 Phones, has been applauded by critics for its impressive hardware and sturdiness, but was singled out for its sparse app market and large size. If Microsoft can continue to entice developers to grow the platform, the Lumia 920 will become an increasingly more attractive phone to the mass market.
Microsoft U.S. Sales and Marketing Vice President Keith Lorizio foresees 400 million users flocking to Windows 8 by July 2013 as the operating system evolves.