Richard Gaywood:
Apple is certainly motivated to keep the App Store busy, and sales high; these things help iOS stand out from competitors like Android. But it’s not motivated to keep prices high. In fact, lower prices for apps help to attract consumers to iOS as a platform, selling more of the hardware devices from which the bulk of Apple’s vast profits flow.
The bottom line: I don’t think it’s likely Apple will do anything of consequence to help struggling smaller devs.
Sad to say, I think Richard nailed it. Apple doesn’t make its money from the 30 percent it takes from apps, that’s just to help run the store. And if you still think 30 percent is high, you’ve probably never looked into what retailers, including Apple, take for selling boxed software on their shelves after you deal with costs like packaging and shipping.
Apple makes its money on the hardware it sells to run all those dirt-cheap apps that attract people to its platform in the first place. It’s no wonder why Apple hasn’t done much to help drive sales back up and, in all unfortunately likelihood, probably never will.
