Free iPhone apps - your days are numbered

Here's a screen shot of my iPhone, page 3 of 4.  This screen has 15 apps on it.  No, my math isn't fuzzy . . . one of those icons is a shortcut to thedigitallifestyle.tv of course.

There have been many posts out there that talk about the mass downloading of Apps and then the lack of usage there after.  I took a look at my iPhone to see if I fell into this bucket and here's what I found.

As previously mentioned I have 15 Apps on this screen.  Of those 15 Apps I actively use 4 (from top to bottom):  Facebook, PhoneFlix, BK Run Lite [this is a good app for bathroom time (too much?) and Twitterrific.

Every other app on this screen I've used at one point but can't say I'm part of their active user base.  Why then can I not bring myself to get rid of these apps??  After all, I 'never' use them.  They're taking up space on my iPhone and cause me to flip through screens to get to the apps I really use (perhaps this is a personal problem . . . it's never occured to me to move apps to the front I use and apps to be back I don't . . . add it to the to-do list.).

Now here's the question we should all be asking . . . WHY DOES THIS MATTER.  For paid applications it doesn't, they're getting their revenue up front when you buy the app.  As long as people keep buying the app they're in good shape.  As long as the iPhone user base keeps buying iPhones, they're in good shape.

Where this does matter is for free app makers.  Most free apps these days have advertising on them to generate revenue.  They of course want you to download their free app so they can show impressive dowload numbers to would be advertisers, but they also need to show clickthrough and impressions so these advertisers continue to lineup and dish out for prime placement.  If apps aren't being used after their initial download (I'll let you do a simple search to see all the posts reporting this) then the ads aren't being seen and advertisers are pissing their money away.

What then is the solution?  Are we going to eventually have an app store of primarily pay applications?  I think eventually, yes.  The store is saturated with apps all doing the same thing.  I think users will begin to dictate which apps are best and run the others out of the store.  Do we really need 6 apps (likely an understatement) that all give me remote access to my NetFlix?  No.  I suggest you all start using the apps you feel strongly about . . . if you don't they might not be there any more.

Let us know your favorite apps in the comments section.

Premium Game Section a Good Idea, But What Price?

Word on the street is, Apple is considering a $19.99 premium section for iPhone applications. The idea of a special section for games and apps missed by the crush of $.99 apps is a good idea. Is $19.99 the right price point? Should any price point be applied at all? Let's say you created highly specialized software for the medical industry. If it currently retails for more than $19.99, would you feel pressured to lower the price to fit this catgeory? Or if this is only for iPhone games, wouldn't your app be just as lost as it is now? And speaking of games, couldn't this lead to titles that would have been $9.99 simply increasing the price to get the premium moniker?

I'm not against a premium section, but tying it to a specific price point could be tricky. Also, it's key that there are some requirements for these apps. Might I suggest:

Playable Demo. If you want someone to spring for, in some cases, 20 times what they would pay for other apps, you should be confident enough to show it first.

Fix The Review System.  Look we're as big of fans of everyone having their say as anyone, but the "this app is too expensive, click yes if you agree" reviews have got to go. How about third party, or industry reviews of premium games. I happen to know a website that's done hundreds of app reviews, and would be willing to help out...

In-game Video These are premium, right? So how about more information before I buy the game. If we can get video previews of iPod Clickwheel gameplay, we certainly should get the same thing for premium iPhone titles.

Apple's a smart company, and I'm sure they can find a way to differentiate premium apps. As it is, it's as if all the games are in the same bargain bin at the toy store.

ABC News App for the iPhone and iPod Touch

There are plenty of ways to get local and national news on your iPhone. Kudos to ABC News for their ABC News iPhone App. Sure, it gives you headlines like most news/RSS sites, but the real advantage to this application is the video capability. Same day clips are available from several ABC shows, and I'm partial to the Tech Bytes segments. The app also gives you local weather and news/emergency alerts. Take a look:

Hydro Tilt for iPhone and iPod Touch Review

I was always a big fan of Marble Madness in the arcade, and at first I thought Hydro Tilt was sort of a Marble Madness clone. I was wrong. It is far more focused on the puzzle aspect of getting your water drop (that can also turn to steam and ice, as needed) from point a to point b.

Essentially, you need to change form at the right time to cross certain bridges/shoots, etc, turn into the frozen cube, and get that cube back to a specific place on the game board. At first I was annoyed by the on-screen directions, but those are there in the first rounds to let you know what's going on. ( A great reason for directions, I suppose...)

Crazy Tanks for the iPhone and iPod Touch Review

If you remember the classic "Combat" game that shipped with millions of Atari 2600's, then you'll already know the basic idea behind Crazy Tanks. You pilot a tank, and have to shoot enemy tanks and gun positions. Tapping anywhere on the screen allows you to fire, while the radar in the bottom right corner shows the relative positions of enemies, as well as health bonuses, multi-shot upgrades, etc.

Unfortunately, you never see much of that battleground at any given time, and the lack of visibility makes the game more frustrating than it would be otherwise. There are worse ways to spend 99 cents in the app store, and with just a few tweaks, this could be a top game in my book. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.