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Matthew Miller & Joel Evans
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Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?

By | July 10, 2008, 2:25pm PDT

Summary: I know a few of us here on ZDNet are hard at work on iPhone 3G and iPhone application articles and one aspect of the new Apple iPhone Application store that struck me immediately was that there are no trial versions of the commercial software. One of the major benefits for me that gets me using and eventually buying mobile software applications is the ability to try a full, or even limited, version for 14 to 30 days on my devices to see if the application truly fits my needs and is worth the cost. There are NO trial applications that I can find on the iPhone Application store.

Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?I know a few of us here on ZDNet are hard at work on iPhone 3G and iPhone application articles and one aspect of the new Apple iPhone Application store that struck me immediately was that there are no trial versions of the commercial software. One of the major benefits for me that gets me using and eventually buying mobile software applications is the ability to try a full, or even limited, version for 14 to 30 days on my devices to see if the application truly fits my needs and is worth the cost. There are NO trial applications that I can find on the iPhone Application store.

Granted, the applications mostly range from something like US$3 to US$9.99, but if you want to buy a lot of applications like Jason plans to do then you will have to fork over some substantial cash. This is another reason I am not going to be so quick to jump on the iPhone 3G. Then again, out of the 15 or so applications I have already downloaded and played with nearly all of them require an internet connection so the iPhone 3G may actually make the 3rd party application experience even better.

Poll

Will a lack of trials keep you from buying applications?

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Apple Inc., 3G, Cellular Phones, Wireless, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle.

Disclosure

Matthew Miller

Matthew is a professional naval architect by day and a mobile gadget freak at all other times. He purchases most of his devices and then sells them on eBay or Craigslist to buy more. Many other devices are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the carrier or manufacturer. If any are provided as “keeper” or “long term loaner units” this will be clearly disclosed in his reviews.

Biography

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. He is one of three hosts on the MobileTechRoundup podcast and runs the Nokia Experts website. Matthew started using mobile devices in 1997 with a US Robotics Pilot 1000 and has owned over 90 different devices running Palm, Linux, Symbian, Newton, BlackBerry, Mac OS X (iPhone), Google Android, and Windows Mobile operating systems. His current collection includes a Nokia N85, Nokia E71, Nokia 5800, Nokia N810, Apple iPhone, HTC Advantage, T-Mobile G1, Palm Treo Pro, HTC Fuze, MSI Wind, MacBook Pro, and many more, along with tons of accessories and classic devices like the Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 and Sony CLIE UX50. Matthew co-authored Master Visually Windows Mobile 2003, was a member of the Nokia Nseries Blogger relations program, and is a member of the invite-only Microsoft Mobius mobile device evangelist group. He can be found on various discussion forums under the user name of "palmsolo".

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RE: Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?
radiofreesrini 3rd Jul 2010
has this changed yet ?
View in thread
0 Votes
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Time for a name change
itpro_z 10th Jul 2008
Hey, ZDNet, why not just change your name to iPhonefanatic.com. Do you guys keep track of the number of articles that you have related to a rather minor upgrade to what is basically a consumer toy? I thought this was a tech site.
0 Votes
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Thanks for keeping us informed Matthew
NonZealot 10th Jul 2008
The iPhone can't even compete with other mobile devices from 2005. The ability to try before you buy has saved me a few $$$ along the way. Of course, I'm sure the official response will be: All AppStore apps will be perfect for you because they are hosted by Apple and they run on the iPhone. If you buy an application and you don't like it, it is because you are an M$ $hill.
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Apple
Lochias 10th Jul 2008
Trials are up to the developer = owner of the app.

He could offer two versions, one for full-price payment,
the other free or cheap, and which either offers less
capability, or stops working after the trial period.

Why does he want Apple involved?
0 Votes
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Not true
jjay72@... 12th Jul 2008
Trials are up to the developer = owner of the app.

Umm no. What exactly are you basing this on? assumptions?
If you knew anything about the SDK or the developer
program, you'd know that developers can't make time-
limited apps.

The only way a developer could release a trial version is if
apple 'get involved' and allow it.
0 Votes
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Re: trials are up to the developer
Mellonius 10th Dec 2009
No, they are not.

I know from experience that Apple will reject an application that expires after a certain amount of uses, explaining that it is not a full-featured application.

It's easy enough to get around if you have something like a game - just make a full-featured game with only one or two levels and call it the Lite version - but much harder if you have something like a utility app or, oh say, a ZipTunes Music Player app.
0 Votes
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Free Trials? What were you thinking! (kidding)
D T Schmitz 10th Jul 2008
nt
0 Votes
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Read reviews and then buy
davebarnes 10th Jul 2008
If the application is really crap then contact the developer and demand you money back.
0 Votes
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Yeah, great suggestion
NonZealot 10th Jul 2008
That sounds so much easier than a trial edition.
0 Votes
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Gotta agree with you this time. Dammit.
A Grain of Salt 11th Jul 2008
A trial version should be available. As long as the App store
has the facility to do so it is up to the developers to do it, not
Apple. If the App store can't, for whatever reason, then it is
up to Apple to fix it. I think it ridiculous that trial versions
are not available.
0 Votes
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Unreal
frgough 11th Jul 2008
they are third-party apps and yet it's Apple's fault that there are no
trial versions?
0 Votes
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Maybe
laura.b 11th Jul 2008
Depends on why there aren't any. If it's because the developers didn't provide the capability, then it's on them. If it's because the App Store doesn't provide the capability it's on Apple. Regardless, it is still within the control of Apple, since it's their hardware, their mobile operating system, their SDK, their App Store, and their rules and regulations. It may not be their fault, but it very well may be.
0 Votes
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I love the double standard
NonZealot Updated - 11th Jul 2008
it is still within the control of Apple, since it's their hardware, their mobile operating system, their SDK, their App Store, and their rules and regulations

Apple is praised for controlling everything to give the end user a better experience and when the end user gets a negative experience, well, it isn't Apple's fault! frgough explained to us that Apple wasn't to blame when OS X fell first in PWN2OWN because the vulnerability was in a 3rd party piece of software (that was installed and enabled by default on every Mac). Yet frgough will just as quickly point out that Apple is great because they control everything.
0 Votes
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No
spookyone1 13th Jul 2008
it doesn't matter who's fault it is. If you don't want to buy
an application because you can't get a trial, then don't.
You don't like the iPhone? Don't buy one. Don't care for
ZDNet's writers or their opinions? Don't read them. You're
not being forced to buy an iPhone or apps to run on it. I
didn't want one until I could get 3rd party apps. (Mostly I
wanted Splash Money, a couple of others.) I got what I
wanted so I got an iPhone. (Yesterday.) Lack of trials is
increasingly common for Palm and WinMobile as well. If
you don't want to buy something, you're always free not to.
0 Votes
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Chill out, buddy
laura.b 14th Jul 2008
The OP couldn't see how Apple could be blamed. I simply pointed out how it could be construed that way.

Your reaction was uncalled for. Get over it.
0 Votes
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maybe this?
rynning 11th Jul 2008
Do developers have the option of providing a free demo version separately from the full version? Of course, it would be harder to find/match...

I think it would be helpful/cool if Apple let developer upload movies for viewing rather than just screen shots.
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?
richvball44 12th Jul 2008
perhaps, the developers don't want to write trial versions of software?
Is Apple compelled to FORCE developers to write time lmited/function stripped apps? Who is to create the time limit? who sets the standard for what function is crippled?

just a fwe thoughts off the top of my head
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Matthew, where are your eyes?
Jens T. Updated - 14th Jul 2008
Get a grip, people. Every developer sets the price of his
app himself. If he wants, he can release a free version
with limited features, LIKE SOME HAVE ALREADY DONE!
(Check Twitterrific or Exposure for
instance)



I'ts easy: If you want to try before you buy, let the
developer know. Everyone of them has his website
listed on his product page.



Seriously, does this thread exist for any other
reason than to give NonZealot a reason to vomit some of
his usual bile?
0 Votes
+ -
More moving parts adds cost
warren@... 17th Jul 2008
My first exposure to creating trial software was as a
consulting developer for Lotus Choices, which pre-
installed Lotus products on new computers, back in 1990.
The problem was the cost and complexity of creating a
separate SKU with a different set of features; recompiling a
product and going though a separated QA cycle with
modified regression tests can approach the cost of the
original product.

As for the iPhone, there is enough complexity in getting a
product out the door with a new tool chain and new
platform. The fact that there are so many products
available on day 1 speaks well that Apple got the basics
right.

Developers *can* develop a trial and paid version of the
same product. We are doing just that. But, it isn't easy. It is
even harder to make it elegant.

So what would be elegant?

How about making a trial/paid version of the product
delivered in the same app bundle. Particularly if the size of
the app approaches 10 MB. Then the conversion is more of
an impulse buy, with no extra effort or download time. I
co-founded a company that did just that, in the mid-90's
with 9 of the top 10 software companies using our
technology - the only exception was Microsoft which, for
some reason, didn't see a need for people to try out their
products, before buying. wink

But, even with several years of my life spent on creating an
elegant solution, I don't know how important that is for
delivering trial apps on the iPhone. Will know better after
we try a less elegant method with our own products.

Cheers,

\~/
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?
The Management consultant 6th Aug 2008
I think this is very temporary! Next year Symbian is due to release under opensource and will build a development community around it.I think you will find that Apple will be offering free loss leaders to temp you back!
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?
Mellonius 10th Dec 2009
I am running into the same issue, but as a developer. I submitted a free trial edition of ZipTunes which expires after 15 uses, but got rejected because I submitted a feature-limited application and am up-selling to a full version, neither of which is allowed according to my software development agreement.

From the perspective of a developer, I would like to see more free trials because it's in my best interest to have users try out my software before buying it. That way, I can take my paid version more seriously - charging more than 99 cents for it and getting fewer disappointed customers because those who buy it would know exactly what they are getting.

Game developers are fortunate because they can just submit a lite version with one or two levels in addition to the full version, or sell content in-game using in-app purchases. But for a music player or utility application, it's much more difficult to get a free trial into the App Store.
0 Votes
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RE: Hey Apple, where are the free trials for iPhone applications?
radiofreesrini 3rd Jul 2010
has this changed yet ?

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