How to Choose the Right Price for Your iPhone App

When you choose a price for your iPhone app, you have to make some very important decisions. Your price is one of the first things potential buyers will look at in the App Store and can make the difference between an average performer and a best-selling app.

How do you decide what your app price should be? We’ll help make your decision a little easier by giving you the top questions to ask yourself:

A. Should my app be free? There are really only two prices that matter on the App Store: free and not free. If you have a free app, people don’t need to think about their purchase because there is no risk and no regrets. The problem, of course, is that you are not making any money from free apps. You will need another way to profit from your apps.

B. What do similar apps sell for? Take a look at your competition. If you sell an app that is similar to several others, you can stand out by keeping your price below theirs.

C. How much is my app worth to my customers? Ask yourself what benefit the app is bringing to the people who use it. If it saves time, your users will value that. Maybe it helps people do their jobs better or it just entertains them. The stronger the benefit, the more you can charge.

D. How much better is my app than free apps? It will be tough to set a high price if your paid app is too similar to free apps already available. For example, if you created a chess game app and want to sell it for $1.99, make sure to say exactly how it is better than the free chess apps (better graphics, more options, play against your friends, etc.).

E. Will I want to offer discounts later? If you think you might hold a sale later (which can be a great way to boost your sales), do not set your app price too low. When in doubt, set your price a little higher and you can discount it later. (It’s a lot harder to raise your prices without a negative reaction from your customers.)

Choosing a price for your iPhone app is not easy, but it is also not set in stone. Keep an eye on your sales and competition to make sure you always have the perfect price.

Read more

Ways to Save Money on iPhone Apps

With over 100,000 iPhone applications in the App Store, finding the right app can sometimes be a bewildering experience. Apple's getting better at refining the interface - it's certainly easier to find what you're looking for now than when the App Store first launched -- but if you're on a limited budget or just love a good bargain, the App Store doesn't give you the tools you need if you're waiting for that $9.99 app to go on sale for $4.99.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to the App Store's built-in search engine that do let you know when iPhone apps go on sale, and they can save you tons of money. There are two websites that monitor App Store prices and let you know when apps go on sale and price changes.
AppShopper.com - Not only does this site track popular changes in the App Store, you can also filter apps by paid vs. free, by category, and so forth. There's also a search field that allows you to search for any particular app. If you sign up for a free account on the site, you can also generate a Wish List of apps you'd like to buy. AppShopper will notify you by e-mail when any of the apps on your Wish List drop in price.

148Apps.com - Provides some of the same information that App Shopper provides, such as price drops (for the past five days) and newly introduced apps. While it doesn't provide as much trending information as App Shopper, 148Apps does offer a daily e-mail, an RSS feed, and a Twitter feed just for price drops. 148Apps also publishes its own reviews of iPhone apps, giving you another perspective on whether that app's worth your money before you buy it.

With these two different sites monitoring the App Store, there's far less need to worry about draining your checking account dry on iPhone apps. Even if you only try out one of the sites, you'll save a lot of money in the long run.

Read more

Apple ending click-wheel games?

Is the click wheel iPod (Classic, Nano) on the way out? A new report from Joystiq (via MR) seems to suggest that Apple has ended support for click-wheel games



Rather than being a simple touchscreen-enabled port of the original click wheel game, the iPhone Song Summoner contains both Song Summoner and Song Summoner 2, which was never released due to Apple ending support for click wheel games.

If true, one would have to wonder why Apple is ending support for the format. New iPods aren't due for another nine months but might Apple be preparing for the end of the click-wheel? Mini touches? It is all specualtion at this point but curious.

Read more

Twitter - Retweet Function Disappeared

Did you notice that automatic retweets are gone? Just recently Twitter turned on the new retweet feature for all users. Then yesterday there was a feedback form for users, on the main timeline page, asking them what they thought about the new feature. Today, the survey and the retweet feature are gone. Twitter has not blogged or commented about the fact that retweets are off, leaving many asking their followers what happened to it. So what happened to it? We don't know either.

Twitter users have been tweeting their feelings about the new feature, but the majority of users didn't like it. Comments varied, but the most common one was that it is confusing to see non-followers in their timeline.

It isn't clear why the feature isn't showing up. But one thing is certain: most users are actually glad they don't have the feature anymore. We will have to wait and see what really happened to the feature, and what Twitter plans on doing in the future.

Read more

AT&T and Verizon rumored to have big BlackBerry and Droid deals starting tomorrow

Looks like AT&T feels horrible about finishing dead last in a consumer survey among Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Or maybe they are just feeling good about the holiday’s who knows.

At any rate, there is a rumor floating around courtesy of BGR, that AT&T starting tomorrow will offer 50% off BlackBerry smartphones. Of course, you’ll need to activate it and have a minimum $30 monthly data plan, but other than that 50% off the actual phone.

Verizon on the other hand is probably feeling great after finishing first and decided to thank their customers by apparently offering a buy- one- get- one-free deal with the Motorola Droid and the HTC Eris.

These are not confirmed, but they will start tomorrow if the rumor is credible.

Read more

Steve Jobs Reportedly Intervenes in iPhone Application Approval

Ars Technica reported yesterday on the approval of Knocking Live Video, which was notable for the apparent personal intervention of Apple CEO Steve Jobs after the iPhone-to-iPhone video streaming application was initially denied.

Jobs' interest in the case appears to have been sparked by an e-mail sent to him by the developer after the application was rejected for relying on private programming functions that are prohibited by Apple's iPhone developer agreement. In the e-mail, the developer argued his case by noting the functionality of the application and the fact that other applications using the same functions had previously been approved, and expanded his message to include the frustrations of many developers with the App Store review process.

Meehan ended up composing a passionate plea to Apple's CEO, explaining he has been frustrated and disheartened with the app approval process, which often leaves developers wondering and waiting with little or no response from Apple about any potential problems. He pointed out that there are other apps that had been approved using the same private API call -- though it was prior to Apple's suspected use of automated analysis software that can comb through code and spot references to unapproved APIs. Meehan even "humbly" requested that Jobs himself review a demo of the app and reconsider it for approval.

Less than 48 hours later, the developer received a call from an Apple executive to discuss the situation and note that a decision to revisit the application's status came "directly from the top", suggesting that Steve Jobs himself had become involved. Within three hours of the executive's phone call, Knocking Live Video had been approved for sale in the App Store.

Apple has received a significant amount of criticism over its App Store review policies, and a number of high-profile developers have recently quit iPhone development in frustration. For its part, Apple has started to become more vocal about its vision for the review process, with senior vice president Phil Schiller recently going public to defend the process as the company also strives to continue improving it.

Read more

iPhone Education – Four Reasons Why Mobile Devices Will Transform How Our Kids Learn

Say goodbye to textbooks and hello to the next-gen mobile tools that will power our children’s education. Increasing access to high-end mobile devices and an explosion of mobile educational software are leading to pilot programs focused on determining the role this new technology should have in the classroom. These pilot programs are already demonstrating significant impact on student learning. Curious about what else lies ahead? Here are four trends driving the death of the chalkboard and the coming mobile education revolution:

Smart phone penetration will hit 82% by 2013
In order for mobile devices to be the future of education, kids need access to devices that are more sophisticated than yesteryear’s Razr. Text-to-screen, in-class polling exercises are a great component of many forward-thinking teachers’ current curricula, but for mobile devices to take center stage in the classroom, better devices need to achieve ubiquity. This is happening — fast. eMarketer recently reported that by 2013, 82% of all mobile devices in use worldwide will be smart phones.

The App Store is producing an explosion of educational mobile content
In little over a year, the iPhone App Store has taken the world of mobile computing by storm — and educational apps have been a huge part of this. This exponential increase in the availability of mobile educational software parallels the improvement of the hardware devices — and is just as critical for mobile education to be a reality. Translation tools, musical instruments, learning games, and mobile books are just the tip of the iceberg. Every day more than 10 new educational kids apps are added to the App Store. Tens of millions of educational apps have already been downloaded. And while this focuses narrowly on the impact of Apple’s iPhone, the broader trend here is clear — others are following the lead of the App Store, and as soon as there are smart phones in everyone’s hand, there will be first-rate mobile educational software to match.

Existing pilots of mobile education are demonstrating success
Preliminary research from both Australia and the US is finding that when using iPod Touches as part of their class activities, school attendance increases, students are more willing to come to school, and they do more homework. Further quantitative research is needed, but it seems obvious that kids will learn more if they are engaged in the process — and cutting-edge mobile devices like the iPod Touch are brilliant at driving engagement.

Mobile devices offer access to the internet in places the traditional web doesn’t reach
In Africa, for example, mobile web penetration is six-times higher than the traditional web. This means that for many people using their mobile devices is their only means of accessing the practically infinite sources of scholarship available online. Similar circumstances hold true in India, where video English lessons are delivered via cell phones to rural schools that can afford neither English teachers nor computers for their students.

What’s all that add up to? More powerful mobile devices, in more people’s hands, powered by a growing digital library of educational software. Together these trends make one thing clear — mobile education is poised to have a significant impact on the way our children learn.

Keep Visiting this blog more updates on Educational Apps.

Read more

Most significant iPhone apps of 2009

Having been around for well over a year, the Apple iTunes App Store has reached the major milestones of 100,000 apps and 1 billion app downloads. Establishing its mobile platform and marketplace, Apple has a lot to reflect on in this past year.

The launch of the updated iPhone 3GS brought new opportunities for app developers, and raised some important issues moving forward as well. Here are some of the significant iPhone apps that made waves in 2009.

iPhone apps that make life easier

Evernote was a breakthrough app for this year, presenting a way to bookmark our real lives. Cataloging anything from photos to mobile Web clippings, the Evernote iPhone app can be used for just about any personal organization need. Free to download, Evernote turns our iPhones into our personal assistant with the memory of an elephant.

Urbanspoon gained popularity last year, with a prized spot on an iPhone commercial and a rather useful app. In 2009, Urbanspoon maintained its position, making local search a relative task no matter where you are. Find restaurants and venues while on the go, with this free app that makes your iPhone a handheld map and recommendation tool.

Notifications takes full advantage of the iPhone’s newer support of push notifications. Aggregating all the push notifications from various apps downloaded on your device, the $1.99 app helps you keep track and manage your mobile alerts. Set quiet times, email filters and other options for Notifications optimization.

Mobile social powerhouse iPhone apps

Tweetie 2 was released this year as an improvement on an already successful iPhone app. For $2.99, Tweetie 2 manages multiple Twitter accounts, adds context with local map views and has an offline mode. As Twitter reigns for mobile social blogging, Tweetie 2 provides the kingdom for iPhone users.

For even more social networking involvement, the highly anticipated Facebook app packed a lot of great features into its update for the iPhone 3GS. From video upload support to integrated contact options through the iPhone device, the free Facebook app has become the epitome of mobile social networking.

iPhone apps that are game-changers

Google Voice never made it to the Apple iTunes Store, but the iPhone app developed by Google was game-changing nonetheless. Rejected for competing with the iPhone device itself, Google Voice looked to make free phone calls over the AT&T network. Sparking controversy, Apple’s approval process for apps is now being questioned.

Stanza emerged last year as a user-friendly eBook reader for iPhone users, and has since been acquired by Amazon. While Amazon has launched an iPhone version of its own Kindle reader, the success and acquisition of Stanza proves the competitive potential of the iPhone as a multi-faceted device

Qik is a more notable mobile app for broadcasting live video streams directly from your device. With no support for live streaming on the iPhone, Qik has had to make do with its own free iPhone app, despite the iPhone 3GS’ inclusion of video support. This highlights the still-present downfalls of Apple’s mobile platform yet hints at its potential.

{Via Appolicious}

Read more

Navigation iPhone Apps Make Dollars and Sense

Navigation apps ring up some of the highest sales of all the apps in Apple's app store.

The App Store's new category, Top Grossing Apps, highlights an iPhone trend: navigation apps bring home the bacon.

Among the top 10 highest grossing apps, seven are games, one is for shoppers and three are navigation apps. TomTom U.S. & Canada ($69.99) is the highest-ranked navigation app, taking the number two spot. MobileNavigator North America ($69.99) holds the number five slot, followed by Magellan RoadMate 2010 North America ($79.99) at number 10.

Of course, this doesn't mean navigation apps are all the rage. These apps are some of the most expensive apps in the App Store, while most gaming apps cost only a few dollars. It doesn't take many sales of a $70 navigation app for the software to break the top 10 grossing apps.

RedLaser ($1.99), on the other hand, is the cheapest selling app in the top 10 grossing apps list at number nine. The app scans product barcodes and searches for lower online and local prices. Given RedLaser's low price and high gross, it's safe to assume that it's one of the most popular apps.

Market researcher Gartner recently predicted that location-based services will be the second most important consumer mobile application for 2012, behind money transfer. Gartner says location-based services' user base will grow from 96 million this year to more than 526 million in 2012.

The trend is spurred by location-based services' "perceived high user value and its influence on user loyalty," the Gartner report states. "Its high user value is the result of its ability to meet a range of needs, ranging from productivity and goal fulfillment to social networking and entertainment."

Granted, navigation apps are only a slice of the location-based services pie, but they're a significant one. Only a few years ago, standalone navigation devices hit the market to great fanfare. The devices from the likes of TomTom and Magellan were pricey. By coming out with an iPhone app at half the price or less, these vendors face some cannibalization of the standalone market. (TomTom came out with its iPhone app, dashboard mount and adapter kit earlier this year.)

Forrester analyst Charles Golvin predicts smartphone-based navigation will dominate the market by 2013. "All of these GPS-enabled mobile phones are potentially degrading [TomTom's] market," Golvin told me a couple of months ago. "It's a smart play on their part. Their core abilities are more based in software than hardware, so it makes sense to leverage that skill on other platforms."

{Via CIO}

Read more

Apple iPhone May Go to T-Mobile Next

T-Mobile To Pickup iPhone In 2010?

The iPhone is arguably the most loved or loathed phone available right now, and AT&T has absolutely reaped tremendous rewards from being the sole carrier. However, Apple
and AT&T know the exclusivity agreement between them won’t last forever, with current estimates putting iPhone exclusivity in jeopardy sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2010. So while rumors run amok regarding a possible Verizon/Apple venture, we ask the question, what about T-Mobile? Thankfully a Thomas Weisel analyst states via TheStreet that T-Mobile is actually the more likely suitor for the iPhone, rather than Verizon. To call this speculation would be hitting the nail on the head but analysts have been known to be right one or two times before, therefore we take it with a level of trepidation. That being said, I think I can safely say that T-Mobile would surely see rewards from carrying the iPhone, provided the network actually works, something AT&T has trouble saying with a straight face these days. The real question here is, will Apple consider T-Mobile a viable partner to help expand the iPhone offering to a larger customer base or will they want to partner up with larger, more expansive partners?!

Do you want to see T-Mobile pickup the iPhone? Read More - {Via TheStreet}

Read more