Should Mobile App Developers Focus on Free or Paid Mobile Applications

Should Mobile App Developers Focus on Free or Paid Mobile Applications

With so much Demand for Mobile Applications, Does it make a Difference?

As the Mobile Industry grows, one common trend which mobile application developers and mobile app “experts” are observing is that mobile applications are starting to become the fundamental backbone for Smartphone’s and tablet PCs. The importance that mobile applications play on Smartphone devices (such as the iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and Tablets (such as the iPad, Samsung Zoom) are critical and without the hundreds of thousands of mobile apps which are available for these mobile devices, they would be nothing but over-sized mobile devices with a web browser. In essence, what makes a Smartphone worth buying is the fact that there are so many mobile applications available for one to download onto their Smartphone mobile device.

In today’s current day and age, mobile applications are available in two different forms: Paid versions and Free Versions. Free mobile applications tend to be supported by ads which is the way that mobile application develops receive revenue from the app they developed. This method of developing application for free does not give the mobile app developers revenue right away but in the long run, these mobile app developers may actually get more revenue from advertising displayed on the mobile app throughout time. At the same, if a mobile application development firm or mobile app developer is interested in getting money right away, they can simply charge a certain price for each time their mobile app is downloaded. 

iPhone Application Development

At the same time, another method is paid mobile applications. These mobile applications are ones which an individual must pay to download and use the mobile app. This will give the mobile app developers revenue right away for the mobile application he/she developed but at the same time, people may not be willing to pay “x” amount to use an app. The decision on whether to offer paid mobile apps or free mobile apps is completely up to the mobile app developers/mobile application development firm and research has shown that there are pros and cons to both ways of going about releasing

Research has also shown that certain mobile application marketplaces tend to offer more of one kind of mobile application than the other. For example, the Android mobile application marketplace has very few expensive mobile applications and a majority of the apps on that mobile app marketplace are free of charge. On the other end of the spectrum, Apple’s mobile application marketplace tends to have more paid mobile applications and some mobile apps in Apple’s mobile app marketplace tend to be more expensive then the average price of mobile applications which range from $0.99 to $5.00 per mobile application.

At the end of the day, the demand and rising popularity for mobile applications is without question; and research is showing clear evidence that whether a mobile application developer or mobile application development firm decides to offer “paid” mobile apps or “free” mobile apps, there will still be enough demand for both avenues (paid and free mobile applications), to be successful and have a high download rate. The mobile application industry’s popularity and demand is at an all-time high now and mobile application developers and mobile application development firms have the chance to generate a lot of income for themselves if they are able to successfully develop a mobile app which individuals see a need for.

Mobile Application Combines Social Networking with Location Based Technology

Mobile Application Combines Social Networking with Location Based Technology

New Mobile App Expected to be Major Success

Mobile application developers and mobile app “experts” are consistently trying to develop a new mobile application that offers functionalities and options which were never developed into the market in the past. Most recently, a firm named Ripple Mobile located in Dublin, Ohio developed a new mobile application that has the ability to merge social networking and location based GPS technologies into one.

The mobile app is called Ripple Phone Tag and the mobile application allows users to keep in touch and connect with friends and schedule gatherings by sending GPS directions to the meeting place. Users can also track the progress of a friend to see if the person is going the wrong direction, if they are stuck in traffic, or if they have some other type of delay. There has never been a mobile application that offers such functionalities and some mobile application developers and mobile application “experts” believe that this mobile application has the opportunity for great success in the future.

Ripple states that their mobile application is as easy as three simple steps which users can take in order to connect with their friends. The first step is that friends are selected from the users’ mobile phone contact list. Next, the mobile application will send a secure text message invite with the URL link for their confirmation. Once that is done, the friends will be able to connect, communicate and determine a meet-up location. According to Ripple, these steps which any user can take will change the way that individuals connect with friends by taking advantage of the functionalities and mobility that mobile applications allow. 

Location-based mobile application on  Windows Mobile platform www.v-softinc.com

It is still unclear which Smartphone platforms this mobile application will be released for but some mobile application developers and mobile application “experts” are predicting that Ripple will release the mobile app onto Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android and possibly also Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 and RIM’s Blackberry Smartphone devices. It is also unclear if this mobile app will be a free mobile application to download or one which an individual has to purchase.

The mobile application industry is continuously growing and new advancements such as Ripple’s Phone Tag mobile application only adds more momentum to an already growing industry. There is a bright future ahead for mobile application development firms and mobile application developers and it is the ones who jump aboard the bandwagon soon who will truly reap the benefits and successes that the mobile application industry has to offer.