AI apps are surging in Apple’s App Store

The explosion of AI-focused apps on Apple’s App Store reflects both the opportunities and challenges in the rapidly evolving mobile AI landscape, with many developers rushing to capitalize on the technology’s popularity.

Market Overview: The App Store has experienced a significant surge in AI-branded applications, particularly in categories like education, productivity, and photo editing.

• Four of the top 10 most downloaded iOS graphics and design apps in the US feature “AI” in their titles
• Photoroom, a leading AI photo editing app, saw downloads increase by over 160% year-over-year
• Traditional apps like Photoshop Express experienced a 21% decline in downloads during the same period

Quality Concerns: Many AI-focused apps demonstrate questionable value and misleading marketing practices.

• HUBX, a Turkish app developer founded in 2022, has multiple top-ranking apps with significant limitations and poor user experiences
• Common issues include aggressive paywalling, misleading feature advertisements, and subpar AI performance
• Customer service is often non-existent, with many users reporting difficulties reaching support teams

Platform Dynamics: A clear divide exists between iPhone and iPad app marketplaces, revealing interesting patterns about user preferences and AI adoption.

• iPad’s top 100 apps feature fewer AI-focused applications, instead favoring established creative tools
• Traditional creative professionals appear to stick with proven applications like Adobe Fresco and Clip Studio Paint
• Paid app categories show less AI presence, suggesting users are hesitant to directly pay for AI features

Legitimate Applications: Some developers are successfully implementing AI features in meaningful ways.

• Google’s Magic Editor and Adobe Photoshop offer specific, well-executed AI tools for photo manipulation
• Photoroom and Picsart AI provide functional AI-powered editing capabilities at competitive price points
• These apps typically charge $10-15 monthly subscriptions, comparable to established platforms like Canva

Market Implications: The current state of AI apps mirrors previous trends in mobile gaming, where free-to-download models often mask significant monetization schemes.

• Users appear more interested in reducing costs than removing skill barriers
• The saturation of AI-branded apps makes it increasingly difficult for users to identify quality applications
• The trend suggests a potential future correction as users become more discerning about AI functionality