Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, used this week’s launch of the iPad mini to provide an update on the company’s apps progress, noting that customers have downloaded 35 billion products from the App Store to date – a figure he described as “jaw dropping”.

It was also revealed that the company has now paid out US$6.5 billion to developers, with Cook stating that “it’s great for Apple to be able to reward their creativity and hard work, and their passion”.

Apple last provided an update in July, when it said that it has passed the US$5.5 billion payment mark. In June, it said that the cumulative App Store total was 30 billion.

Cook reitereated that the company has more than 700,000 apps in its catalogue, a figure first announced in September 2012, and since then this total has “continued to grow”.

The executive also said that it now has 275,000 iPad apps in its portfolio, noting: “These apps are not stretched out smartphone apps. These are apps that have been custom designed to take advantage of iPad’s big, beautiful canvas”.