According to a report published by the International Data Corporation (IDC) on June 28, 2011, app downloads are projected to increase from 10.7 billion downloaded in 2010 to more than 182 billion in 2015. However, these expectations far exceed those of a report created by ABI Research in April 2011, which states that app downloads will reach a cumulative total of 44 billion worldwide by 2016.

Also at the forefront of the ambiguity about where the mobile app market is headed are rumors that iTunes is changing how applications are ranked in the App Store. Instead of basing rankings solely on the number of times the app is downloaded, iTunes is allegedly now taking into consideration additional data such as customer app reviews.

However, despite the uncertainty regarding the exact nature of future app downloads, a Mobile App Developer Survey Report published by IDC and Appcelerator in January 2011 shows that application developers are making plans to push the industry forward by changing how they capitalize on their apps.

The new focus of the developers is on increasing purchases, advertisements, and commerce within the apps themselves. In this manner, developers will be able to move beyond their current near-to-complete reliance on initial app purchases, creating a more sustainable app industry.

Thus, despite the uncertainty surrounding the iTunes App Store and how many billion apps will be downloaded in the future, developers are taking steps to ascertain that the future of mobile applications will be strong.