Comments on: Google Setting Price Cap for Apps in the Android Market http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:02:56 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: RickB http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330274 RickB Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:08:12 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330274 There should be no throttles placed on how much an app costs. Most of the apps now on Iphone and GPhone are now games or utilities. What if someone develops a mobile app for a small biz niche but saves or makes the buyer thousands of dollars per year? Why not sell the app for $1k or more? My thinking is keep the barrier small and sell mobile app's for as low as possible and gain traction quickly. Then build in a subscription model that ties in with a backend product. This way apple and google only get a piece of the 99cents but not the $200/year subscription. :-) There should be no throttles placed on how much an app costs. Most of the apps now on Iphone and GPhone are now games or utilities.

What if someone develops a mobile app for a small biz niche but saves or makes the buyer thousands of dollars per year? Why not sell the app for $1k or more?

My thinking is keep the barrier small and sell mobile app’s for as low as possible and gain traction quickly. Then build in a subscription model that ties in with a backend product. This way apple and google only get a piece of the 99cents but not the $200/year subscription. :-)

]]> By: Kent http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330269 Kent Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:32:24 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330269 This is a non-issue. For Apple, the only way to get an App on the phone (sort of jailbreaking) is through their market. This is not the case with Android. Android users can purchase and install apps from places other than the Android Market without hacking the poop out of their devices. This is merely a limit on how much Google wants to get in the middle of processing. Nothing stops a developer from selling an app through their own channels for $9000 - if they can get customers. This is a non-issue. For Apple, the only way to get an App on the phone (sort of jailbreaking) is through their market. This is not the case with Android. Android users can purchase and install apps from places other than the Android Market without hacking the poop out of their devices.

This is merely a limit on how much Google wants to get in the middle of processing. Nothing stops a developer from selling an app through their own channels for $9000 – if they can get customers.

]]> By: The Android Site http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330264 The Android Site Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:49:50 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330264 I personally wouldn't care if there wasn't a cap on prices. If someone wants to make a stupid app that does nothing and charge $999 for it, more power to em. If people actually buy it, even better. And I don't see why Google should care either, they take 30% of the sell price. But I would be hard pressed to find an app that would personally be worth even $200 to me. Maybe a complete home automation app or something. Or an app that actually made me money. I personally wouldn’t care if there wasn’t a cap on prices. If someone wants to make a stupid app that does nothing and charge $999 for it, more power to em. If people actually buy it, even better. And I don’t see why Google should care either, they take 30% of the sell price.
But I would be hard pressed to find an app that would personally be worth even $200 to me. Maybe a complete home automation app or something. Or an app that actually made me money.

]]> By: GDI http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330260 GDI Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:08:28 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330260 I don't like the idea because it is like price controls. We all know price controls can have unintended consequences. I don’t like the idea because it is like price controls. We all know price controls can have unintended consequences.

]]> By: Ken Fegore http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330252 Ken Fegore Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:40:21 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330252 Are you then saying that an app like 'I am rich' would be OK as long as it costs 'only' $200? $200 may be a lot of money for an app to you, however it is quite feasible for an app to cost that much, or a lot more, depending on the functionality, esp if developed for a particular purpose for a select target audience. If you can't publish an app no matter how useful for more than $200 and can still sell a nonsense app for $200 what is the point of the limit? Seems like a completely arbitrary restriction on Google's part. Are you then saying that an app like ‘I am rich’ would be OK as long as it costs ‘only’ $200?

$200 may be a lot of money for an app to you, however it is quite feasible for an app to cost that much, or a lot more, depending on the functionality, esp if developed for a particular purpose for a select target audience.

If you can’t publish an app no matter how useful for more than $200 and can still sell a nonsense app for $200 what is the point of the limit?

Seems like a completely arbitrary restriction on Google’s part.

]]> By: The Android Site http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/16/google-setting-price-cap-for-apps-in-the-android-market.html/comment-page-1/#comment-330251 The Android Site Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:37:14 +0000 http://www.intomobile.com/?p=39548#comment-330251 I'm already racking my brain to try and think of apps worth $200. Maybe commercial security or corporate integration apps. But I think most apps will stick in the $1-$20 range if they expect any sales at all. Heck, there's already tons of great apps for free. I’m already racking my brain to try and think of apps worth $200. Maybe commercial security or corporate integration apps. But I think most apps will stick in the $1-$20 range if they expect any sales at all. Heck, there’s already tons of great apps for free.

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