Apple
has announced that it will now allow products and services to be
bought and sold from within free iPhone applications.
Previously only applications sold for more than US 99cents (66p
Sterling) could offer this service.
This new feature will allow developers to provide trial versions
to users who can then pay to upgrade without having to make a
separate trip to the
iTunes store.
This allows for users to try-before-they-buy so the customer can
buy with confidence and increase the chance of a sale benefiting
the developers.
But Apple is not allowing service or content rental. This is bad
news for film and book distributors who would benefit from the
rental market.
Subscription services for content such as news and one-off
payments for songs and games will be available but must be for use
within the application it’s purchased through.
Requiring users to purchase additional items for there
application should help fight piracy. Developers can restrict sales
to those registered. Apple will continue to prevent the use of
virtual currency.
After earlier denying free application commerce was on its way,
Apple’s decision has been welcomed by developers.