Apple Expands Pricing for Apps - The New York Times

Technology|Apple Expands Pricing for Apps

For years, iPhone customers who visited the App Store recovered apps priced astatine 99 cents, $1.99 and $9.99. The pricing was portion of Apple’s argumentation of restricting what developers could charge.

Now, 15 years aft the App Store was created, the institution is ditching those limitations and allowing apps to take from astir 600 pricing options, including the elemental interest of $1, Apple said connected Tuesday.

Rising ostentation astir the satellite has enactment unit connected Apple and developers to beryllium much flexible successful what they complaint customers. The institution besides continues to look a backlash from developers, regulators and lawmakers astir the satellite implicit its App Store policies. The App Store is the lone gateway for thousands of apps to scope iPhone users, making Apple an arbiter of bundle distribution.

Last year, Apple agreed to present more flexible App Store pricing successful the colony of a class-action suit brought by developers, who accused the institution of having a monopoly connected the organisation of iPhone apps.

The caller prices volition scope from 29 cents to $10,000, a interruption from the erstwhile scope of 99 cents to $999.99, Apple said. The prices volition rotation retired for subscription apps this week and beryllium disposable for different apps adjacent year.

The $10,000 ceiling could beryllium a motion that Apple anticipates higher-priced offerings, said Carolina Milanesi, an expert with Creative Strategies. Apple is processing a virtual- and augmented-reality headset that blends the integer satellite with the existent world, and Ms. Milanesi said the video games and amusement options connected that caller instrumentality could outgo more.

“I don’t cognize if seats courtside for a hoops crippled connected a headset volition outgo much than a existent crippled oregon not, but they could,” she said.

Adjusting prices state by state and managing overseas speech rates volition beryllium made easier, Apple said. Some app developers acceptable 1 subscription terms for the satellite and absorption connected developed markets specified arsenic the United States, Europe and Japan. But Matt Ronge, laminitis of Astropad, an app that turns the iPad into a drafting tablet, said Apple’s accrued flexibility could let him to grow into caller markets.

“If you tin complaint a much tenable terms successful India, it could unfastened up immoderate possibilities,” Mr. Ronge said. “Any clip they unfastened it up successful immoderate way, I’m a fan.”