Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"Apple developers previously had to post both paid and free versions of their mobile applications on Apple's App Store. That may become a thing of the past, however, now that Apple is allowing developers to integrate functionality into apps that lets users upgrade from the stripped-down, free version of an app to the paid version without going through the App Store."

This has got to make the developers happy campers. I find it kind of annoying to search for something and get both free and paid versions to choose from. I would rather get one app and then on the iTunes page have a list of items that the upgrade will give you versus the free or "lite" version. This is just the functionality that users will appreciate too, at least I know I will. What are your thoughts?

"Tapulous took the App Store by storm with its inaugural Tap Tap Revenge rhythm music gaming title. It followed that up with the no less successful Tap Tap Revenge 2, Tap Tap Dance, and various Tap Tap games branded for individual artists. Tap Tap Revenge 3 hit the App Store today, bringing with it new features and some unique iPhone 3.0 capabilities."

This one, unlike previous versions, will set you back $0.99 USD, but you also get the ability to add to the game from within. You can earn coins to spend within the game for slick clothing for your avatar as well as bonus themes and tracks. The Tapulous site has more info, and it is available now in iTunes. 

Answering the requests of developers, Apple has implented in-app purchasing for additional content. An excellent use of this would be in an app like Kindle where you could buy a new book from inside the Kindle app itself. Other examples include purchasing in-game content like weapons or costumes (like in the SIMS) or even clubs in Tiger Woods (a feature already in the XBox 360 version that I hope makes it into the iPhone version).

Developers will definitely like this new revenue stream, and users will appreciate the extension of their application purchase by adding more to it. This is a small thing, but can work out to be a great thing for everyone involved.