1. chkenwing's Avatar
    I'm not aiming this at every app that is available but I do feel sometimes that us BB users get totally shafted for the software (even for basic software) when compared to the prices of the equivalent software found in the Apple AppStore.

    I personally don't mind supporting developers for their work but sometimes I think it's just daylight robbery especially if you're comparing the equivalent.

    Take WhatsApp for example:

    On the BB it's like �2.05~ and the functionality of it is REALLY basic. I mean, literally, nothing more but text based. Doesn't even support emoticons.

    Whereas the iPhone version is 59p, and has MMS working, emoticons working and it's generally quite pleasing to the eye.

    If anything, the pricing should totally be the other way round!

    I don't know how difficult programming for the BB is (I'm gonna assume it's just like developing for any other platform as long as you know the programming behind it) and I do appreciate the time and effort gone into it but sometimes I just feel the prices are a bit high. (IM+ is a definite candidate!)

    What do you guys reckon?
    03-20-10 12:12 AM
  2. ShimmyShine's Avatar
    I agree some applications are a bit overpriced. But so is gas? Does anyone feel like gas run's the world right now? Lol.. It's life man (Not trying to be rude :P).

    Anyhow - I am learning BB development and knowing the programming behind each language is very different. Writing a simple web page with HTML is much much different and quicker than writing a basic java blackberry application. This is like comparing making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to making a masterpiece grilled steak burger.. Sure they are both sandwiches (Just like they are both languages) but the process' are very very different, similar in ways, but still different.
    03-20-10 12:24 AM
  3. H_D's Avatar
    I DEFINITELY feel blackberry apps are overpriced ESPECIALLY compared to their same version on other mobile platforms.
    Last edited by YaBoiD; 03-20-10 at 12:44 AM.
    03-20-10 12:32 AM
  4. hitman52's Avatar
    I have to agree also, but i only buy the essential. I figure most of the apps on the iphone can be useless.
    03-20-10 12:42 AM
  5. chkenwing's Avatar
    I agree some applications are a bit overpriced. But so is gas? Does anyone feel like gas run's the world right now? Lol.. It's life man (Not trying to be rude :P).

    Anyhow - I am learning BB development and knowing the programming behind each language is very different. Writing a simple web page with HTML is much much different and quicker than writing a basic java blackberry application. This is like comparing making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to making a masterpiece grilled steak burger.. Sure they are both sandwiches (Just like they are both languages) but the process' are very very different, similar in ways, but still different.
    Haha yeah that's true. It is life, but it does suck sometimes how it's almost like favouritism!

    I've done Java before and believe me when I say I hate it lol. Actually, I hate anything to do with programming so long winded and annoys me when you've declared a variable with a lowercase letter and then later down line you totally forget and use an uppercase and stops the thing from running. Grr.

    I'd rather pay for someone to go through that hair tearing process.
    03-20-10 12:46 AM
  6. ShimmyShine's Avatar
    LOL Well, I almost agree.. I love programming, I'm 18 and I've been doing it since I was 9 (Websites) and Java for the past 5 months. I think being able to create things, whether I make money or not really doesn't matter (****, I've already released 4 free apps and not the 2 pro apps yet.. It's just a matter of getting recognition for my work more-as getting money. I do love money though.. Lol).
    03-20-10 12:54 AM
  7. CharredPC's Avatar
    You have it figured out, but backwards. Here's how it works.

    The iPhone AppStore sells thousands (if not hundred of thousands) of items per day. Even priced below a dollar each (or pound, depending on your location) that's a significant amount daily. So every app generates plenty to compensate the creators and fuel updates / upgrades.

    BlackBerry phone apps have a smaller user base, and a more professional one. Less impulse-driven teenagers, more busy workers and adults. I think this is changing now... but slowly. So the income from these apps is much, much less. Therefore, research and development remain somewhat slow.

    Anyone who understands business sees how this works. Costco and Walmart are cheap because they deal in volume. Smaller stores are more expensive because each item has to count. It's not about quality (though I agree with your points), it's about marketing.
    03-20-10 12:59 AM
  8. chkenwing's Avatar
    I see your point but surely, if it's written by the same company (ala WhatsApp for example) revenue generated from the AppStore sales would surely be more than enough to cover the development for the BB. (It's more or less a shot in the dark and whether this is a naive way of seeing things, I'm sorry in advance)
    03-20-10 01:05 AM
  9. dany8907's Avatar
    You have it figured out, but backwards. Here's how it works.

    The iPhone AppStore sells thousands (if not hundred of thousands) of items per day. Even priced below a dollar each (or pound, depending on your location) that's a significant amount daily. So every app generates plenty to compensate the creators and fuel updates / upgrades.

    BlackBerry phone apps have a smaller user base, and a more professional one. Less impulse-driven teenagers, more busy workers and adults. I think this is changing now... but slowly. So the income from these apps is much, much less. Therefore, research and development remain somewhat slow.

    Anyone who understands business sees how this works. Costco and Walmart are cheap because they deal in volume. Smaller stores are more expensive because each item has to count. It's not about quality (though I agree with your points), it's about marketing.
    Wow. When you put it like this it totally makes sense. When I buy apps over $5 I think I am spending a forture compared to iphone apps. I will no longer gripe about expensive bb apps.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    03-20-10 01:12 AM
  10. CharredPC's Avatar
    I see your point but surely, if it's written by the same company (ala WhatsApp for example) revenue generated from the AppStore sales would surely be more than enough to cover the development for the BB. (It's more or less a shot in the dark and whether this is a naive way of seeing things, I'm sorry in advance)
    Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. If they generate $4000 from the iPhone app, and $2 from the Blackberry version, how does it make sense to them to siphon successful earnings to fund a metaphorical sinking ship? They'll keep pumping the money into development of the money-maker.
    03-20-10 01:12 AM
  11. chkenwing's Avatar
    Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. If they generate $4000 from the iPhone app, and $2 from the Blackberry version, how does it make sense to them to siphon successful earnings to fund a metaphorical sinking ship? They'll keep pumping the money into development of the money-maker.

    Ahh didn't see it like that (Not very business minded) But you've made a very good point.

    You've opened a different insight to what I originally perceived.

    Still, I stand by it that some apps are still ridiculously priced.

    That said though, AppStore would be useless if Apple allowed Flash content on their Touch/iPhones since the functionality of most of the apps can be recreated in flash.

    Here's hoping that the webkit browser that's to be released will support flash!
    03-20-10 01:30 AM
  12. jpgnfx's Avatar
    03-20-10 01:42 AM
  13. phone9's Avatar
    What do these things cost as computer apps? 10 times as much?

    It's harder to write for a phone, and a phone costs about as much as a low-end computer (either stand-alone new price or used).

    Why should the software cost less? If it's moving toward parity, good!

    I'll give an example, a memory app costs from $3 to $10 on a BB, but on a computer? $50?

    Or an encryption program? 10x as much.
    Last edited by LSphone; 03-20-10 at 01:55 AM.
    03-20-10 01:45 AM
  14. pilsbury's Avatar
    about the only paid app I have is BerryWeather, and its well worth the $10 I paid for it
    03-20-10 07:04 AM
  15. motoroid7's Avatar
    Only paid application I have is UberTwitter at the moment. The price of things for BlackBerry does suck though.
    03-20-10 10:38 AM
  16. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    Do any of these app stores offer per seat or per site licensing to businesses?

    Computer SW frequently is available to businesses through seat or site licenses, not just per user.

    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
    03-20-10 10:49 AM
  17. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    I associated cost with need. If I need it it is well worth the cost.

    I have about 15 paid apps, some costing as little as a dollar and a few north
    of $25.00. I don't regret a dime I have paid for any app nor do I feel BB apps are
    in any way overpriced.
    03-20-10 11:15 AM
  18. Totalimmortal363's Avatar
    I'll say they're overpriced. I see the need based thing, totally though.
    03-20-10 11:29 AM
  19. its_a_bb_thing's Avatar
    Not that stating this changes anything but here I go, not only do bb apps cost on average twice the price of i-phone apps but the quality on bb apps sucks in comparison to I-phones apps. All in all I have just learned to get over it.
    03-20-10 11:44 AM
  20. Evermore707's Avatar
    BB developers have to create apps for multiple phones and operating systems, which increases cost. I would say almost 60% of BB owners do not know of most of these apps or fail to try using them. Most BB owners I encounter do not even change the default theme or ringers!
    However, most apps I purchase are under 3 bucks. I have yet to make a purchase I wasn't happy with. The most expensive apps I have a Berry weather and mobiscope. But, with the features and functionality of these I felt it was worth it.
    If the BB community wants to see this 3rd party paid apps ecosystem get cheaper; we need to increase awareness so more people buy them. Then RIM needs to unify their fragmented hardware and software market. RIM really needs to find a way to make it easier for everyday BB consumers to know of OS updates also.
    03-20-10 11:51 AM
  21. justavillain's Avatar
    I refuse to pay for those over priced applications so I just don't. I'm not the only one either. Think of how many teens/young adults have bb's now. I see just as many bb's if not more then I do the iPhone.
    03-20-10 11:55 AM
  22. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    Does anyone know why DocumentsToGo premium is so much more expensive for BlackBerry than for Android or iPhone? Granted, it also was expensive when I bought it for Symbian. Luckily, I got my money back when I returned the Nokia device and contacted DataViz.

    I noticed the volume licensing available on DataViz's Web site. How much cheaper is DocumentsToGo premium for a business that purchases it for many devices?

    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
    03-20-10 12:01 PM
  23. CharredPC's Avatar
    I refuse to pay for those over priced applications so I just don't. I'm not the only one either. Think of how many teens/young adults have bb's now. I see just as many bb's if not more then I do the iPhone.
    And ironically, this continues the problem! Lower sales generates lower income, so the developer isn't likely to drop the price and get even less. Yes, in theory, a lower price might generate more sales, but most companies won't risk it until sales reach a certain point. When applications get popular, then they often have "sales" or release updates. This is simplifying things a lot, I know, but is generally true.
    03-20-10 12:06 PM
  24. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    ===== QUOTE justavillain ====

    I refuse to pay for those over priced applications so I just don't. I'm not the only one either. Think of how many teens/young adults have bb's now. I see just as many bb's if not more then I do the iPhone.

    ===== /QUOTE ====

    And ironically, this continues the problem! Lower sales generates lower income, so the developer isn't likely to drop the price and get even less. Yes, in theory, a lower price might generate more sales, but most companies won't risk it until sales reach a certain point. When applications get popular, then they often have "sales" or release updates. This is simplifying things a lot, I know, but is generally true.
    What you stated makes sense; however, I would make an educated guess that more folks with BlackBerry or Symbian devices buy DocumentsToGo premium than Android or iPhone users. So why is the app twice as expensive for the BlackBerry and Symbian platforms?

    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
    03-20-10 12:15 PM
  25. ienhz's Avatar
    Yup, definitely feel a ton of the apps are overpriced. Weather apps for $10, twitter apps for $8, flashlight apps for $3?! Most BB themes cost $3-5 and that's already more than most apps on the iPhone app store. The only app I've paid for is ubertwitter, but that was based more on principle than need. The guy developing it does a great job and really cares about his users. Deserves every penny.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    03-20-10 12:17 PM
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