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Average iPad app price is $1 more than iPhone apps

by Mike Schramm May 4th 2010 at 8:00AM

Here's some more interesting stats about app pricing. We've heard pricing average stats before, including that the average app price seems to be hovering right around three dollars. But a firm in the Netherlands has done some more research into current iPad and iPhone app prices, and discovered that while iPhone apps average out at $3.87 (slightly higher than most estimates, but still in that $3 range), iPad apps are actually hitting an average of $4.67, almost a dollar more than iPhone versions.

That's both good and bad news for developers -- while it does mean that iPad apps are releasing and selling at higher prices (something most developers believe should be the case, given the amount of work and design that goes into iPad apps versus their smaller-screen cousins), those prices aren't that much higher. Apple specifically priced their iPad apps at $9.99 after selling their iPhone game at $4.99, and if they wanted that to be the early standard for the iPad, it doesn't quite appear the plan is working out.

Still, an extra buck is better than nothing, and as always, developers should sell their apps for what they think they're worth anyway. The firm, Distimo, also says that 80% of iPad apps are paid (compared to the iPhone's 73%), and medical and financial applications are the most expensive, averaging out at $42.11 and $18.48, way higher than the iPhone's $10.74 and $5.74 averages for the same categories. So while the prices may differ, there's no questions that developers are charging more (and getting more) for applications on the iPad.

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Here's some more interesting stats about app pricing. We've heard pricing average stats before, including that the average app price seems...
 

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Creation Site Internet

Things will even out over time.

May 14 2010 at 11:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hal

But what's "the experience" and iPad production costs got to with app price? Seems to me it's all a false perception. It's just bigger afterall.

May 05 2010 at 4:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
williamsipad

Average Price? It's not fair to compare the "average" prices. Each developer/platform has its own pricing scheme. Personally I see the free, but with in-app purchases apps getting successful on the iPad

William, theamazingipad.com

May 04 2010 at 4:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Theresa

The app's are expensive now but just like apple's itunes, they will regulate themselves in time. Everything new is more expensive. It's the shine and WOW factor. Perhaps apple will start selling packages of apps. like you pay a set price for 3,5 or 10 apps then choose them at your discression. Perhaps I will ask Jeff Clark from WWW.TECHTIPTUESDAY.COM he seems have a good answer to all my tech questions. In fact heis the one who told me about tuaw. I even heard he is doing a few speaking engagements in the area. has anyone else heard if he is speaking on the ipad?

May 04 2010 at 3:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sarah Longmann

Though there hardly can be found a significant difference between developing an iPhone app and an iPad app, everything new and growing popular costs more expencive. It`s the law of free market. Time will show if this burst of iPad popularity will continue long, but it`s clear that with the appearance of some competitive tablets the craze over them all will grow even more and surely it`s high time for ipad developers to make profit out of this.

May 04 2010 at 2:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
James Rea

I don't understand how a meaningful average can be computed if you don't know the relative sales of different titles. An app that sells a million copies should not be counted the same as an app that sells a thousand copies.

May 04 2010 at 1:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DT

It's because the graphics are bigger ...

May 04 2010 at 12:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Erik

It's for this very reason I use a price notification system to save bookmarks for apps and wait for sales, etc or just to not impulse buy all my apps.

http://tellsteve.com/ is an example, it's works directly in the iTunes App store.

May 04 2010 at 10:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
michahello

I am very reluctant to pay ten bucks . Way too expensive . Has to be really exceptional to warrant ten bucks in my opinion .

May 04 2010 at 10:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nick

So while a star trek interface for your ipad (http://bit.ly/aY12Op) is normally a dollar, it should be free on the iphone?

Seems logical. Less pixels to push around.[/snark]

May 04 2010 at 10:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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