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Topic: BlackBerry

BlackBerry apps get cheaper as RIM lowers pricing for BlackBerry World

Summary: RIM will automatically slash the price of the cheapest apps by up to 25 percent as the launch of its next OS, BlackBerry 10, looms.

Liam Tung

By Liam Tung |

Ahead of RIM's BlackBerry 10 launch, the company has lowered the price that European developers can sell their wares for on its BlackBerry World app store.

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BlackBerry 10 essentials: What you need to know

BlackBerry 10 essentials: What you need to know

The current lowest tier of pricing — previously £1.00 — will fall to £0.75 in the UK. For apps sold in Euros, the floor will vary country by country, according to RIM.

In France, for example, the lowest tier will fall from €0.99 to €0.89, but there are no details on what the new floors for other European nations will be. Apps in the Spanish, German and Irish BlackBerry World are currently available from a minimum of €0.75, however it's unclear if these reflect a new minimum price, or whether they'll be cut further.

RIM intends on rolling out the new price tiers automatically, meaning developers with apps in that tier will not have to take any action. 

The lower prices reflect updated exchange rates and include VAT, according to RIM, as well as making sure BlackBerry apps are keeping up with those available on rival stores.

"The goal of this adjustment is to ensure prices are in line with currency fluctuations and ensure content within BlackBerry World is competitive," RIM said on its developer blog.

RIM will notify developers of new lower price tiers for other currencies "shortly", it added.

Topics: BlackBerry, Apps, Mobility, Smartphones

Liam Tung

About Liam Tung

Liam Tung is an Australian business technology journalist living a few too many Swedish miles north of Stockholm for his liking. He gained a bachelors degree in economics and arts (cultural studies) at Sydney's Macquarie University, but hacked (without Norse or malicious code for that matter) his way into a career as an enterprise tech, security and telecommunications journalist with ZDNet Australia. These days Liam is a full time freelance technology journalist who writes for several Australian publications, including the Sydney Morning Herald online. He's interested primarily in how information technology impacts the way business and people communicate, trade, and consume.

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4 comments
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  • RIM: bringing you bad ideas since 2007!

    OK, we've ignored all new innovations, brought horribly flawed products to market, broken promises, delay after delay, have driven our North American marketshare to approximately zero, have even developing nations starting to turn away from us, think that finally getting out a touchscreen phone and OS in 2013, with (gasp!) swiping, will turn everything around for us - even though we have really pathetic apps ("port-a-thon" apps developed in minutes ie. web launchers)....

    but FINALLY we've figured out THE problem. Our apps are a buck too expensive!

    There....fixed...ahhhhh......
    Wayne Hosh
    Reply 2 Votes

  • Check your facts

    A 2+ year old 3G BB 6 is touchscreen.

    BES 10 offers distinct advantages to the marketplace, including MDM for iOS and Android devices as well as BB, separation of work and personal profiles, and full E2E security, among many others.
    bb_apptix
    Reply Vote

    • And it was a crappy touchscreen

      Every other phone out there with a touch screen sported a far better touchscreen than the BB Storm or Torch. I hope that RIM has their ducks in a row on this one and BB 10 proves to be a viable contender.
      athynz
      Reply Vote

  • Too Much Emphasis On Apps

    RIM seem to be spending a lot of effort on wooing developers and encouraging app development. This is what Microsoft did with Windows Phone 7 (sadly not Windows Phone 8), and it didn't help rescue that platform from failure.

    Conversely, Android was way behind on apps to start with (and still is, compared to IOS), but that didn't stop it from completely dominating the mobile market. This shows that attractiveness to customers must come before attractiveness to developers.
    ldo17
    Reply Vote
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