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App Store not needed for upgrades: Apple
by Ayurdhi Dhar - October 18, 2009 - comments
The Apple iPhone's upgrades will now be easier to access!
New York, October 18--Apple has taken a step to get rid of one of the most prominent complaints they were facing, the fact that one could not try an application from the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch application store, called App Store, before buying it. Thus, they have introduced the free-to-paid application upgrades.
Apple earlier had to post two versions of their applications on their store, the paid and the free (called lite) version. They have taken care of this functional glitch by allowing developers to integrate functionality through which one can upgrade one’s lite version to the paid version without going through the App Store.
A relief to many
The download of the two versions has now been merged with each other, providing relief to many. Apple has been known to have a strict policy against the demo version of any application, even though “lite” are available. This had made Apple unpopular and look harsh in a market where Android is providing users with a trial period of an application. If the users do not like it, they are given a refund.
To compete with such a user-friendly a marketing strategy, the least Apple can do is provide a demo version.
Free versions!
The new development could help the Apple store look more streamlined as developers now do not have to post two versions of every application. Apple, of course will still be taking the same cut from the developers for the paid versions, irrespective of whether the App Store was involved in the transaction or not.
It comes as great news for both consumers and geeks alike, as developers will now be allowed to give away free versions of their applications. They will also be able to unlock the advanced features of the applications as and when users desire them to be added, and voila, the whole procedure is within the apps.
The free-to-paid applications are like to hit the market in the next few weeks, and a heavy downpour of applications is expected.
This announcement comes close after Apple released upgrades for iPhone and iPod Touch on the 9th of this month, which took care of several functionality and software issues that the devices were suffering from. This included sorting out the “coma mode” which was a state where the smartphone refuse to wake up.
Apple’s App store was launched in July, 08 and since then has made a remarkable journey. It can boast of over 85,000 applications for iPod and iPhone Touch, apart from 2 billion downloads.
Microsoft had tried to emulate Apple’s idea of having a store for applications but could not deliver. Around October 19, Apple is set to reveal their sales figure where the samrtphones are concerned. The smartphones had sold around 3 million units in the first three days of their release, thus the announcement is much awaited for.