Skip to main content
The homepageVoxVox logo
The homepageVoxVox logo

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Pokémon Go just had the best first week in App Store history

But does it have staying power?

by Ina Fried
Niantic Labs
Part Of
Pokémon Go is taking over and here’s why
see all updates

We already knew Pokémon Go was pretty popular, but now it is officially one for the record books.

Apple confirmed Friday that the game had set a new App Store mark for first-week downloads, but declined to give specific numbers or say which app had previously held the record.

It’s worth noting that Pokémon Go broke the global record even though it was only available in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.

All those downloads could add up to big bucks for Apple, which gets a cut from each in-app purchase of Pokéballs and other gear. Investment bank Needham said earlier this week that Pokémon Go could generate $3 billion in revenue for Apple over the next 12 to 24 months.

Google declined to say whether Pokémon Go is setting any Android download records.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

More in: Pokémon Go is taking over and here’s why

A year after Pokémon Go’s meteoric rise, no other app launch has come closeA year after Pokémon Go’s meteoric rise, no other app launch has come close
Millions of Americans still play Pokémon Go every dayMillions of Americans still play Pokémon Go every day
Pokémon Go for the Apple Watch is not canceledPokémon Go for the Apple Watch is not canceled

Most Popular

  1. Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
  2. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword
  3. The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
  4. The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained
  5. What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout

More in Technology

Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel