App Store: Apple increases prices significantly

Apple has significantly increased prices in the App Store. Most apps and in-app options now cost around twenty percent more in the euro zone than before. Apple has not yet given a reason for the increase.

Significant price increase

Apple had already announced the price increase. Now it has been implemented. Most apps in the App Store now cost noticeably more than before. The companies that provide the apps have only a limited influence on the price of their applications in the App Store. Thus, they cannot choose any price they want, but must choose one of Apple’s pricing options. The prices of the tiered options have now been raised, completing a uniform increase. Apps that previously cost 99 cents now cost around 1.19 euros. However, the companies behind the apps are not completely powerless. They have the option to manually select one of the other price levels. In concrete terms, this means that not all apps are affected by the price increase – which, however, is likely to be at the expense of the companies that offer the apps.

This one-sided pricing policy on the part of Apple was once again criticized in the course of the price increase: Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, made the price increase an example of the US company’s pricing power, with which his company is in a dispute.

However, not only apps from other companies and in-app options have become more expensive, but also those applications that Apple itself provides. Most notable here are the Prof apps for the Mac. For example, Final Cut Pro no longer costs 300, but 350 euros.

One can suspect a connection of the price increases with the changing euro-dollar exchange rate. Already in the past, Apple had made price changes after the exchange rate had changed significantly. The fact that price adjustments are not limited to apps also speaks for a connection: The price of the new iPhone was also adjusted significantly upward in the euro area.

Office prices remain unchanged

Prices of existing subscriptions, on the other hand, are not affected. New subscriptions can also still be taken out at the previous price, at least at this point in time. However, Apple Music, iCloud storage space or Apple One are also likely to become more expensive soon. Apple has already obtained the consent of all users for proportional price increases. The price of subscriptions that are concluded with other companies via the App Store or in apps can also be adjusted. Since the spring, this no longer requires separate consent.