RIM puts hefty premium on BlackBerry apps

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 6 Mar 2009 at 16:34

Paid-for software from the new BlackBerry App World will cost at least £2.59 - more than four times the price of the cheapest software from the iPhone App Store.

RIM has announced nine different tiers of pricing for BlackBerry apps ranging from free to £8.55.

However, unlike Apple, which has many apps available from just 59p, RIM has set the minimum fee for paid apps at £2.59.

That pricing policy could backfire, according to Paul Ockenden, PC Pro's Real World contributing editor for Mobile and Wireless.

"I know £2.59 isn't a huge sum of money, but it's the level where people might need to think about it, and mentally justify the purchase, whereas 59p is 'let's just try it and see' territory," he says.

"It's like buying an album rather than a track."

British buyers will also have to pay more than their US and European counterparts. The minimum Euro price is 2.75 (£1.95 at today's exchange rate), while the minimum dollar threshold is $2.99 (£2.11).

RIM declined to comment on the price of BlackBerry apps.