[Jmosack606]

why is it that really good apps for the iphone cost 99 cents but on the blackberry the good ones don't start until 3-5 dollars????

[Korben Dallas]

Some are already

[kcpaynev1]

when the storm has as many followers

[Xopher]

Developers have to spend more time developing for Blackberry devices for a number of reasons.

1) Different operating systems on different devices.
2) Different screen resolutions on different devices.
3) CDMA and GSM differences.
4) Different phone features (GPS, Wifi, 3G...).
5) Keyboard vs. non-keyboard Storm.

A developer not only has to make sure the app works on several devices, they may even have to make sure it works on the different versions of the same device. As an example, one company came out with an app that worked on GSM Curves, but wouldn't work on the 8330. Apps that work on the 8330 sometimes won't work on the 8330m.

If you are only supporting the Storm (9500, 9530), then it could be feasible to make less expensive apps. For testing you would probably just need one or two devices (GSM and CDMA versions, at least until the Storm 2 devices arrive).

If you are developing an app that is going to be used across all devices, this can mean needing to have multiple devices. You can easily have to pay out a couple grand just to have a Bold, Tour, Storm, Curve (8310, 8320, 8330, 8900), Pearl (8110, 8120, 8130), Pearl Flip (8220, 8230), and 88xx series for testing. If you only charged $.99 per app, it would take a very long time to finally see any sort of profit. Emulators can help, but if there is a problem with a version on one set of phones, you need to have that handset for testing.

With the iPhone, you would need just one device for testing. There is much more involved in creating Blackberry apps.

[Ohm4]

Developers have to spend more time developing for Blackberry devices for a number of reasons.

1) Different operating systems on different devices.
2) Different screen resolutions on different devices.
3) CDMA and GSM differences.
4) Different phone features (GPS, Wifi, 3G...).
5) Keyboard vs. non-keyboard Storm.

A developer not only has to make sure the app works on several devices, they may even have to make sure it works on the different versions of the same device. As an example, one company came out with an app that worked on GSM Curves, but wouldn't work on the 8330. Apps that work on the 8330 sometimes won't work on the 8330m.

If you are only supporting the Storm (9500, 9530), then it could be feasible to make less expensive apps. For testing you would probably just need one or two devices (GSM and CDMA versions, at least until the Storm 2 devices arrive).

If you are developing an app that is going to be used across all devices, this can mean needing to have multiple devices. You can easily have to pay out a couple grand just to have a Bold, Tour, Storm, Curve (8310, 8320, 8330, 8900), Pearl (8110, 8120, 8130), Pearl Flip (8220, 8230), and 88xx series for testing. If you only charged $.99 per app, it would take a very long time to finally see any sort of profit. Emulators can help, but if there is a problem with a version on one set of phones, you need to have that handset for testing.

With the iPhone, you would need just one device for testing. There is much more involved in creating Blackberry apps.

Very well said!

[ItsMoo]

Hold on a second, I'm gonna hop in my time machine and check the future. Be right back...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mookish]

Correct answer: when you get an iphone

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Shay D. Life]

Correct answer: when you get an iphone

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I don't believe this is true, I actually believe that there will be drops in app prices in the future. Right now there aren't as many developers in competition with similar apps, once there are more people developing top notch apps prices should drop considerably.


My 2 cents...

[sdguy67]

Developers have to spend more time developing for Blackberry devices for a number of reasons.

1) Different operating systems on different devices.
2) Different screen resolutions on different devices.
3) CDMA and GSM differences.
4) Different phone features (GPS, Wifi, 3G...).
5) Keyboard vs. non-keyboard Storm.

A developer not only has to make sure the app works on several devices, they may even have to make sure it works on the different versions of the same device. As an example, one company came out with an app that worked on GSM Curves, but wouldn't work on the 8330. Apps that work on the 8330 sometimes won't work on the 8330m.

If you are only supporting the Storm (9500, 9530), then it could be feasible to make less expensive apps. For testing you would probably just need one or two devices (GSM and CDMA versions, at least until the Storm 2 devices arrive).

If you are developing an app that is going to be used across all devices, this can mean needing to have multiple devices. You can easily have to pay out a couple grand just to have a Bold, Tour, Storm, Curve (8310, 8320, 8330, 8900), Pearl (8110, 8120, 8130), Pearl Flip (8220, 8230), and 88xx series for testing. If you only charged $.99 per app, it would take a very long time to finally see any sort of profit. Emulators can help, but if there is a problem with a version on one set of phones, you need to have that handset for testing.

With the iPhone, you would need just one device for testing. There is much more involved in creating Blackberry apps.

I am fine with paying a couple bucks for a good app or game, but the iPhones free apps blow away the $4-5 BB apps, and it isn't even close on most of them

[Tripster]

You all seriously got to stop bringing up iPhone drama, if you can't be satisfied with your BB and the apps and the prices for BB apps then just switch to an iPhone. This wonderful forums are designated towards BB users. Yes I know CB has forums for iPhones and other smartphones, its 99% used for BB's though. They have forums only for iPhones out there and other smartphones, goto those forums and bring this stuff up.


Thnx, �Tripster�

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BBA]

The BlackBerry apps will become cheaper by the time. When I started development for BB about 2 years ago, the average price in the top 10 bestseller list was around 17$ - I KID YOU NOT!
Now its around 5 or 6 dollar. The prices will drop, just wait some more month!

[Jim W]

Someone needs to define "good apps" on the iPhone. I see lot's of people going crazy for Pull My Finger.

[kjdoug]

What is this Ipone you speak of?

[Aristotles]

They will never go cheaper!

[phone9]

Developers have to spend more time developing for Blackberry devices for a number of reasons.

1) Different operating systems on different devices.
2) Different screen resolutions on different devices.
3) CDMA and GSM differences.
4) Different phone features (GPS, Wifi, 3G...).
5) Keyboard vs. non-keyboard Storm..

So true. Most of my development time goes to these issues, and more than once a simple app that I thought would 2 days has taken 2 weeks. That's 85% of the time wasted on device and OS difference issues rather than on rich features, fancy graphics and slick controls. The BlackBerry JDK doesn't even have a preprocessor that allows one source file for all platforms, and we have to build using multiple JDK's and test on half a dozen simulators at least for every release of every application, and there are still problems.

Add in the fact that BlackBerries are slower and less capable, that they run Java not C, don't have OpenGL for advanced graphics, so everything is harder. Some developers like myself have been using C and C++ for 23 years but are just now learning Java. And every time I write an app I have to downgrade it from what I'd planned, because it's either too hard, takes too long, won't work on some devices, or is plain impossible on a BlackBerry.

The only reason I'm developing for BlackBerries is that after buying an iPhone to develop for it, I couldn't use the phone anywhere near where I live. Great, just great. So it went back and I got a BlackBerry on Verizon. If iPhone ever comes to Verizon, I'll switch just to use C and OpenGL, and have to deal with 3 similar platforms rather than 999 different ones.