The App Store Turns 9 With Big Changes on the Horizon

Apple's big cash cow — OK, one of them — is celebrating its ninth birthday.

The world got its first look at Apple's App Store on July 10, 2008. Since then, it's generated an estimated $100 billion in revenues, of which about $70 billion has been paid out to developers and $30 billion has gone to Apple.

The App Store not only changed how we interact with — and rely on — our phones, but it also gave rise to a new economy. Now, anyone with coding skills has a chance to make create apps — and reap the rewards.

"It used to be: I have to be a major studio, multi-million dollar company," Tuong Nguyen, principal research analyst at Gartner, told NBC News last month.

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That app economy has of course spawned ideas that have changed other industries. Think of how often you use Uber or Lyft to get a ride, or a fitness app to record your runs, or a social media network to keep in touch with friends.

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With developers still dreaming up new apps and experiences to work alongside expanded capabilities on the iPhone, the app economy, which was worth $1.3 trillion last year, is showing no signs of slowing down.

In five years, the app economy will be worth $6.3 trillion, according to a report from App Annie, as more people continue to spend money on and within apps.

The App Store is also getting a new look that might entice you to spend a little more. With the launch of iOS 11, the App Store will debut with redesigned pages, separate games from apps, and have a "today" tab, allowing for more discovery within the store.