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iTunes App Store Pricing Decisions
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Has there been any indication if you're buying the app for the phone or for the user? If I buy a really outstanding app that costs a serious amount of cash for a mobile app (£10-£15 or $20-$30) and then upgrade to iPhone II, will I need to repurchase that app, or will my iTunes/AppStore account transfer to the new phone and deauthorise my old phone for that app. I know Jobs said that the App Store would be able to push updates to apps you have bought, but is this on the basis of the phone checking for updates, or your account.
This is particuarly relevant when Jobs also said there would be the ability to side load apps from iTunes as well as over the air.
Personally, I would hope it is a user license the way basically all PC apps are, but my previous experience with smartphone applications suggests it will be tied to the hardware. Will Apple get this right from the get go?
This is particuarly relevant when Jobs also said there would be the ability to side load apps from iTunes as well as over the air.
Personally, I would hope it is a user license the way basically all PC apps are, but my previous experience with smartphone applications suggests it will be tied to the hardware. Will Apple get this right from the get go?
Where did you get that number? I highly doubt that eight out of every ten iPhone/ iPod Touch users have Jailbroken their device. Probably more like 1/100 (maybe even less) have Jailbroken or unlocked their device. A lot of people buy these devices as a fashion statement and just to have the latest/greatest gadget.
It's a nice idea to have an optional combo deal for apps that are on both versions of OS X. Although there is no real motivation for developers to invest thousands in developing a mobile version of the software if it were going to be given away for free. Maybe somewhere down the road things will go that way though. As much as Apple has tried to fool us into thinking they are the same OS, they clearly aren't in terms of usability. The interface needs a complete overhaul in order to make it simple to use on such a small screen as the iPhones. Add to that the different features that are/ aren't supported on both platforms and you can clearly see that a lot of time and money must go into porting most apps to the iPhone. I like your idea, it just doesn't seem realistic to give away most apps for free when there is money to be made. But I am sure there will be a few rebel developers that see the big picture and give away iPhone versions with the purchase of a Mac license.
You're lucky you're getting free applications at all.
Even the simple applications (solitaire, etc.) for phones cost money.
From The Developer's Point Of View
Obviously, for those of us actually developing iPhone applications (we will have at least two health related aps ready day 1) pricing is not just simply a matter of how much we can make. The real issue is "How much do we need to make" and that takes into account not just developmental costs and a desire for reasonable profit, but also setting prices that allow for new development and ongoing support.
It seems that much of the conversation here is gamer in nature, but we believe that the vast majority of iPhone users will be looking for aps that enhance life, business, personal communication and yes entertainment.
Our expectation is that we will be in the 8 - 15 dollar range on aps that relate to such serious health issues as high blood pressure and obesity (all updates free of charge forever).
I would be most interested in hear from this community your thoughts on such a pricing plan.
Cheers
Obviously, for those of us actually developing iPhone applications (we will have at least two health related aps ready day 1) pricing is not just simply a matter of how much we can make. The real issue is "How much do we need to make" and that takes into account not just developmental costs and a desire for reasonable profit, but also setting prices that allow for new development and ongoing support.
It seems that much of the conversation here is gamer in nature, but we believe that the vast majority of iPhone users will be looking for aps that enhance life, business, personal communication and yes entertainment.
Our expectation is that we will be in the 8 - 15 dollar range on aps that relate to such serious health issues as high blood pressure and obesity (all updates free of charge forever).
I would be most interested in hear from this community your thoughts on such a pricing plan.
Cheers
Sounds reasonable to me - personally though, I won't pay over $15 for ANYTHING that isn't unbelievably cool. In fact, I'd hesitate to pay more than $10 for an app. I think $5 is going to be the magic number for a lot of people, especially younger customers.
Me too. In fact, those will be the only ones i'll be looking for. Not that I don't think developers shouldn't be charging, but I don't have the budget to be able to buy apps.
Hmm ... I would agree with that except that so far, there really are no 'must have' games or apps for the Touch/iPhone, aside from maybe MobileScrobbler and RagingThunder (IMO) ... Both of those apps are cool/useful enough that I'd be more than willing to pay a few bucks for them. But I guess my point is, you get what you pay for. I'm hoping that the possibility of making some coin from their games and apps will encourage developers to really impress us with some cool, 'must have' stuff. Because so far, the free apps are 99% unpolished, unfinished betas (not that I'm complaining - they're free!!)
At the minute there are very few things I miss from the iPhone.
I would want notes/tasks that sync with the Mac, and I expect Apple to provide those for free. If they don't I would pay a nominal charge - maybe $5 max. Really good Twitter and Pownce clients and Twitterific has already said they will have an iPhone app available at the launch of the AppStore.
Not really interested in games, but would download if free.
I would want notes/tasks that sync with the Mac, and I expect Apple to provide those for free. If they don't I would pay a nominal charge - maybe $5 max. Really good Twitter and Pownce clients and Twitterific has already said they will have an iPhone app available at the launch of the AppStore.
Not really interested in games, but would download if free.
Pricing for Lumen
Hey,
I am the developer of Lumen. It was just a side project I worked on after school. I am charging $5 just to see how it goes. At first, the desktop version of Lumen was a free game, but when I saw how many people downloaded it I added some new features as a paid upgrade, keeping all of the original game features free. I can't say I am going to retire (or even get through school) with the profits off the upgrade, but it has definitely made developing Lumen worthwhile. I am hoping to have the same results with Lumen for the iPhone (not that I would mind becoming filthy rich, I just don't think it will happen). That being said, is $5 a fair price point? I thought it was pretty cheap. How many copies of do you think I can sell? (Your guess is as good as mine!)
One thing that is frustrating for me is the lack of details on the iPhone App store. Will I be able to offer discounts to people who have purchased Lumen for the desktop? Can I shoot my friend a free copy of my own app? What about a free trial? Hopefully more will be revealed tomorrow.
TTFN
Bridger Maxwell
Hey,
I am the developer of Lumen. It was just a side project I worked on after school. I am charging $5 just to see how it goes. At first, the desktop version of Lumen was a free game, but when I saw how many people downloaded it I added some new features as a paid upgrade, keeping all of the original game features free. I can't say I am going to retire (or even get through school) with the profits off the upgrade, but it has definitely made developing Lumen worthwhile. I am hoping to have the same results with Lumen for the iPhone (not that I would mind becoming filthy rich, I just don't think it will happen). That being said, is $5 a fair price point? I thought it was pretty cheap. How many copies of do you think I can sell? (Your guess is as good as mine!)
One thing that is frustrating for me is the lack of details on the iPhone App store. Will I be able to offer discounts to people who have purchased Lumen for the desktop? Can I shoot my friend a free copy of my own app? What about a free trial? Hopefully more will be revealed tomorrow.
TTFN
Bridger Maxwell
Well, as someone in the UK, $5 is about £2.50, which really is pocket change, over here you could just about buy a Big Mac for that, so if the game is even slightly addictive enough to want to play it would be a no brainer, especially since you'll have your iTunes account info stored so it wouldn't even take effort to purchase, which is pretty compelling.
Not to get off topic, but, goddamn! Our dollar must really be hurting if $5 of our money equals one big mac in the UK. ._.;
There is so much potential for medical apps. One day I could see them covered by insurance. I don't think that is out of the question. Imagine hospital groups and medical providers with staff dedicated to patients using Phone/Touch medical apps.
Pricing medical apps at or above games is not out of the question.
I think the iPhone apps should be priced based on the cost to develop them and the utility they provide. If something saves you several hours of work per month in your business, why should it cost only $10? Why not $100 if you get your money's worth in less than one month?
Now that may be an extreme example, but I don't understand the mentality that just because the physical size and price of the iPhone is small relative to a desktop computer, then the software should also be.
FYI, no, I don't have an app to release and want more money.
Now that may be an extreme example, but I don't understand the mentality that just because the physical size and price of the iPhone is small relative to a desktop computer, then the software should also be.
FYI, no, I don't have an app to release and want more money.
I will certainly not be buying any apps over $2.
The potential for massive distribution at a low price should be excercised without gouging iPhone users. $0.15 to $0.99 apps have the potential to make millions for developers. No reason to exceed that.
Installer.app has been a good indicator of how what seems like a useful app may not actually be worth downloading even if free. People are going to clash with the app store right off the bat if terrible apps are listed for $x.xx
The potential for massive distribution at a low price should be excercised without gouging iPhone users. $0.15 to $0.99 apps have the potential to make millions for developers. No reason to exceed that.
Installer.app has been a good indicator of how what seems like a useful app may not actually be worth downloading even if free. People are going to clash with the app store right off the bat if terrible apps are listed for $x.xx
If the program is good/useful, I'll pay a good amount for it. If not, then even $1 won't be worthwhile. I hope Apple doesn't limit the price to be charged -- that would lower incentive. Let the consumer decide how much to pay.
Well, I sell an app that costs $55 for a one-user licence. It's rather like the medical example, an e-book version of a several-thousand-page reference work, so people seem to think it's worth the money.
"One user" means that you can buy once and run anywhere. You can use the same app with the same registration code on your PC, your Mac, your laptop, your Windows Mobile device, and your Palm.
I'd like to be able to expand that last sentence to "and your iPod Touch and your iPhone".
The devil is in the detail. Suppose that the app is purchasable direct through me (for other platforms) and via iTunes (for iPhone/iTouch).
BUT - there then seems nothing to stop me from selling the registered app for $55 via iTunes and for $45 directly. Everyone will buy directly from me because it's cheaper, and I'll get $45 per sale instead of $38.50 per sale. Apple will get $0 per sale instead of $16.50 per sale.
I wouldn't be interested in trying to be clever like this, but other vendors might, and Apple has to stop it happening.
I can't see any way that Apple can stop this happening without forcing customers to "buy twice", once for iPhone/iTouch and once for everything else (including Mac!).
Does anyone else have any ideas how it might be done?
"One user" means that you can buy once and run anywhere. You can use the same app with the same registration code on your PC, your Mac, your laptop, your Windows Mobile device, and your Palm.
I'd like to be able to expand that last sentence to "and your iPod Touch and your iPhone".
The devil is in the detail. Suppose that the app is purchasable direct through me (for other platforms) and via iTunes (for iPhone/iTouch).
- I can make the reg.code portable from iPhone/iTouch to the other platforms. If people buy via Apple, Apple get their 30% and I lose that 30%. For myself, I don't mind, but other application developers might.
- I can also make the reg.code portable from the other platforms to iPhone/iTouch, by selling for $0 a "needs reg.code" version via iTunes. That way people will never have to buy twice.
BUT - there then seems nothing to stop me from selling the registered app for $55 via iTunes and for $45 directly. Everyone will buy directly from me because it's cheaper, and I'll get $45 per sale instead of $38.50 per sale. Apple will get $0 per sale instead of $16.50 per sale.
I wouldn't be interested in trying to be clever like this, but other vendors might, and Apple has to stop it happening.
I can't see any way that Apple can stop this happening without forcing customers to "buy twice", once for iPhone/iTouch and once for everything else (including Mac!).
Does anyone else have any ideas how it might be done?
I think 4.99e is a nice price for current iPod games, and I hope that small and simple iPhone games will be priced 4.99e too. However, I'm ready to pay more than that if the game is comparable to DS and PSP games. Super Monkey Ball at 9.99e is very reasonable, because it was full price release for DS and PSP (about 30-40e). The more complicated iPhone games can be compared to DS and PSP games, and I'm ready to accept that the prices are similar too.
The application pricing is more difficult to think. Lower prices (5-10e) may tease me to test and buy more applications. Buying a higher price release (above 10e) needs more thinking before buying. If I really need and want some app, I could pay as much as 40e for it (for example fully featured sport app to track run workouts with GPS & keeping history data and other features).
The application pricing is more difficult to think. Lower prices (5-10e) may tease me to test and buy more applications. Buying a higher price release (above 10e) needs more thinking before buying. If I really need and want some app, I could pay as much as 40e for it (for example fully featured sport app to track run workouts with GPS & keeping history data and other features).
Meanwhile, I expect ePocrates to still be at least 99 bucks a year, and totally worth it.
There are mobile apps worth huge money. If someone made an exchange capable tasks viewer, I would pay up to 20 bucks for the functionality. As it is, I am flabbergasted that there isn;t a "tasks" app at launch.
There are mobile apps worth huge money. If someone made an exchange capable tasks viewer, I would pay up to 20 bucks for the functionality. As it is, I am flabbergasted that there isn;t a "tasks" app at launch.
Nintendo DS games sell for $25-$35. It seems like every kid I see is playing one of those things.
I'm amused by everyone who thinks anything over $9.99 is going to fail.
I'm amused by everyone who thinks anything over $9.99 is going to fail.