In a dramatic app fee structure update, Apple announced that from today (December 6), developers will be able to select from 900 price points for their apps across 45 currencies throughout 175 storefronts, from $0.10 to $10,000, barring Apple's approval.
This is almost 10 times more than previously available for most apps since the App Store debuted in 2008. There are also improvements to setting prices for App Stores across the world, so a developer could set one price for one country, for example, but have prices for their apps automatically change according to the exchange rate around the world.
This means that you'll see an app at a fixed price more frequently and at different increments, and not dictated by the ever-changing exchange rate, which affected Apple TV in October.
When it comes to subscription tiers, the same improvements will apply from today, but setting prices independently for different countries will arrive in early 2023, while in-app purchases for apps will also be able to take advantage of these improvements from early next year.
This is a big win for developers, who have long requested these features to better set their prices for different regions. However, it's also a win for users on an iPhone, Mac, and Apple's other devices when it comes to major updates and subscriptions for the coming years.
A better storefront for all
These improvements don’t just benefit the developers, but also users on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. We’ve seen in the past where some apps and subscriptions have raised their prices with inflation such as Apple Music, but these new features could lock down prices regardless of this while being able to set lower prices than previously allowed.
These enhanced selections of price points, such as smaller price increments of $0.10 / £0.10 / AU$ 0.10, can now be set by developers, so in-app purchases or subscriptions can benefit from this, especially when it comes to deals for the holidays across the year.
Apple confirmed to TechRadar that these price enhancements for in-app purchases are rolling out in Spring 2023 as they wanted to introduce these changes slowly because it’s such a big change to the store and its developers. However, with in-app purchases being a big part of games not on Apple Arcade, developers may feel like they’re being left out until Spring next year to take advantage of these improvements.
Regardless, it’s a positive change for both developers and users, as it gives developers more control over how their apps are priced, and those prices are no longer dictated by the ever-changing exchange rate across the world.
With Apple’s VR headset allegedly launching in 2023, this could be a good opportunity for the company to have the App Store ready for when apps are released for this upcoming product, which could take advantage of these pricing improvements.
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