Apple's App Store update process is quite convenient, even at times too convenient. All updates for an app are free, regardless of if the new version's pricing structure changed. While it's possible to have force a "paid upgrade" by simply creating a new app with a similar name ("My App 2" for example), the new app does not carry over the positive ratings of the previous (now different) app.
Apple's update process has a few important disadvantages. First, it is difficult and inconvenient to avoid upgrading all apps except a few specific ones. Second, unless you back up multiple versions of your apps synchronized with iTunes, it is impossible to restore an app to its previous version, because only the latest version is available on the store. As more and more people do backups with iCloud, the negative effects of being unable to go back to a previous version of an app is going to affect directly more people.
Those characteristics of nearly-automated free updates with no recourse to cancel can lead to some pernicious effects.
Lost Features: Sometimes for legal reasons, sometimes because the app store rules changed, or sometimes because the developer wanted to do so, some features of the app are removed. This often happens after the app is "fully redesigned". This can be quite annoying, especially in cases when it is for a paid app and that the specific feature removed is what made the user buy it over a competitor.
Bait and Switch: This is a simple one. You first release a free app, and in an update you either introduce "monetization" (ads) or move some features behind an in-app purchase. I can sympathize a bit more with this one simply because you haven't paid anything for it anyway.
Extortion: An important feature of a paid app is moved behind an in-app purchase. This means if you, for any reason, updated the app, you will need to pay more to regain previous functionality.
So, this "extortion" is what happened to me this morning with the podcast player for iOS called "Instacast". An important feature of all music players is to let the users play a selection of tracks in a specified order. This is important since portable music players are often used in situations where interacting with the player might be inconvenient, be it during sports, driving or simply during Canada's long and cold winters. In version 1, Instacast's ability to play different podcasts was limited to a single playlist, the "Unplayed" list, that could not be fully customized but for the chronological order or grouping. Again, the chronological order is important since when you subscribe to podcasts that update daily versus others seldom, you still want to be able to play podcasts from the oldest to the newest to avoid seldom-updated ones to be stuck at the bottom of the list.
Guess what? Instacast 2 removes customization of the sorting of the "Unplayed" playlist, deeming it a "Pro" feature that requires an in-app purchase. And it just so happens that Pro feature costs just as much as the full price of the app in its previous version.
So, why am I making such a big deal over $2? Because what the author did was immoral and removes any goodwill he had with his previous loyal customers. So much so that I will go out of my way to pay the same if not more to buy one of his competing product. What the Instacast author was a cold, calculated move to screw over his customers that will have no recourse except losing their original investment in the app. So, shame on you, Vemedio. You deserve to be destroyed by your competition for so blatantly trying to rip us off.
Published on May 7, 2012 at 20:24 EDT
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