Research by Adeven has suggested that almost two out of three apps are ‘inactive’ or rarely, if ever, downloaded. In figures reported by the BBC, the tracking group states that 579,000 of the store’s almost 900,000 applications have disappeared into the vast ether of the iOS marketplace or become 'zombie apps'. This contrasts with Apple’s own claims that 90% of all apps are downloaded at least once a month.

The huge figures emphasise how easy it is for developers to potentially get lost in the crowd, especially if their releases are not up to scratch. One app designer told BBC that a vast majority of the ones in digital oblivion are there with good cause, as “they’re awful”.

However, while popular applications like Angry Birds and other ‘blockbusters’ have made huge profits from the marketplace, estimates suggest that 60% of developers lose money on their apps.

This is complicated further as many developers will release their applications free to get App Store chart attention. They will then need to rely on unpredictable revenue streams like in-app purchases or advertising to support the project.

The App Store is currently ‘celebrating’ its fifth birthday by offering all iOS device owners ten usually paid applications for free, including five games and cooking, DJ and ‘world atlas’ apps.