Apple (AAPL) was the company that popularized apps on a smartphone, and thus the need for an App Store. But fast-forward a few years and you inevitably wind up with way too many applications; applications that don't work correctly, don't meet the current guidelines or are just flat out left for dead.
The company gave developers until Sept. 7 of this year to determine if they wanted their apps to be saved. While Apple didn't immediately embark on a wide-scale app cleanse on Sept. 8, that didn't mean it didn't get around to it eventually.
In October, app removals increased almost 250% as almost 50,000 apps were removed from the store. The company removes apps continually throughout the year as well, usually about 10,000 to 12,000 per month. So there are surely more deletions to come and my guess would say November will be an above-average month as well.
The whole goal here is like cleaning out the closet. It's harder for developers to have their current apps noticed and found in a sea of unused and old apps. Sort of like that new shirt you can never find thanks to all the old clothes in the way.
Shares of Apple closed at $107.11 Tuesday, up 1.3%.
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