Windows Phone 8 app downloads up 100%, developer revenue up 140%

Good news if you’re a Windows Phone 8 user and developer, Microsoft announced last week that app downloads on the Windows Phone 8 platform are up 100% since its launch. Furthermore, revenues paid to developers for paid apps has increased 140% since the launch of Windows Phone 8. While percentages should be taken in the correct context, as these percentages may look a lot better than the actual numbers. However, it is still good to see that Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform is finding a way to carve out a place in a market where there’s Android, iOS, and the rest.

Microsoft also announced that they are expanding payouts to developers in six new countries. Developers in Afghanistan, Iraq, Montenegro, Serbia, Timor-Leste, and Ukraine are now eligible for payouts for their paid apps from the Microsoft Dev Center. These additional six countries bring the total countries eligible for developer payouts up to 122. Microsoft also added 15 more carriers for carrier billing since August 2012, and now 25 carriers across 19 countries support carrier billing for Windows Phone 8 app purchases. Recently Nokia announced that over 5 million Lumia smartphones have been sold, an encouraging sign for Nokia who has bet the future of the company on Windows Phone.

While these numbers and updates still have a long way to go to even come close to Apple or Google’s app downloads and developer support, it is good to see Microsoft is moving in the right direction for loyal Windows Phone owners. One our biggest complaints with Windows Phone has been the lack of quality apps from quality developers, and hopefully these newest figures may entice a few talented iOS or Android developers to release a WP8 version of their apps. But with Apple approaching its 50 billionth app download, Microsoft has still got ways to go, and a lot of developers to entice.