It's trying to turn the whole feeling of iOS, what apps you get, what prices iOS apps should sell for that's the challenge.
I almost feel like there needs to be a separate "Pro" store with a different feel to it.
How can you have 99 cent fart apps next to say $1000 for a CAD/3D Editing app ?
Would anyone ever pay $1000 or more for an iOS app ?
That article is a bit shortsighted and narrow in identifying the issue. It's not JUST the app store, but the whole iOS ecosystem.
Apple has developed the iOS ecosystem to have a mobile/disposable mindset... initiated by the iPhone.
Hardware. Annual hardware releases that rely on contract cycles to entice people to upgrade. People using iPhones on contract will rarely keep their iPhone for more than 2 years... simply upgrade and renew the contract. Yes, off contract iPhone sales do happen, but not in large enough quantities to break that cycle.
Apple attempted to do that with the iPad, and for the first few generations it worked. They now see that the hardware cycle for the iPad is longer (approx. 2 years).
OS. Apple refuses to allow for installing previous versions of iOS. Many offer a variety of reasons (read: excuses) for why Apple doesn't allow this but it perpetuates the "forced march" to upgrades that eventually results in having to dispose of hardware that is physically still capable but prematurely crippled. My day-1 iPad 1 (5.5 years old!) is still going strong, still works as smoothly as the day that I bought it. (though the battery is BEGINNING to show its age)
APPS. Not only is there no trial period, but there is no ability for developers to charge for upgrades. There may be a way, depending upon the app to provide updates as "in-app purchases" but that's a bit sketchy. Apps are also seen as "disposable". $0.99 for an app from an unknown developer is one thing, and without a trial period few would be willing to spend $5 or $10 on a no-name developer. The general consensus to this point has been, "aw what the heck, it's just a buck, I'll take a chance". Basically every app is "as-is" with no guarantee of future support. If it doesn't work or stops working, move on to another app.... again, a "disposable" mindset.
It's even more involved than that but basically,
Apple needs shift away from the disposable mindset to a more sustainable one that encourages longevity. That is at odds with an aggressive profit model.