Apple App Store breaks records with 2.2 mn apps

Apple's app store closed 2016 with 2.2 million apps, an increase of 20 per cent from 2015.

Apple says New Year's Day 2017 was the biggest day ever for app store purchases - people bought nearly $240 million of stuff in the digital marketplace.

Nintendo's "Super Mario Run" was the most downloaded app worldwide on both Christmas and New Year's Day. The app is free to download, but it costs a whopping $10 to play the full version.

In what should surprise no one, "Pokemon Go" was the year's most popular app. The game peaked over the summer, when hordes of people prowled real-life locations to catch digital pocket monsters through its innovative augmented reality interface.

Other popular apps included Sweat With Kayla, a workout app, and Procreate, a painting and sketching app.

The milestones were announced as the CES gadget show in Las Vegas formally opened, though Apple has no official presence there.