Apple App Store Prices Rise

As an Apple App Store developer we received an email this morning from Apple highlighting pricing changes in the App Store. These happen from time to time in various territories, and is usually the result of foreign exchange rates or tax changes. However, today it was highlighting an increase in prices throughout the UK App Store.

What pricing is changing?

The cost of all iPhone, iPad, Mac and AppleTV apps will increase for UK consumers across the App Store. This includes the pricing of the ‘buy price’ of the app itself and any in-app purchases.

The App Store price hikes are determined by Apple but is an increase of just under 25% across the board. As an example of the types of app price increases we’re going to see, an app that currently costs 79p will be increased to 99p and apps costing £7.99 will now be a whopping £9.99.

App Store subscription model pricing

One pricing model within the app store that isn’t currently changing is the subscription model. Any apps collecting fees via the recently introduced subscription pricing structure won’t see an increase in this raft of price increases (although this may change in the near future).

Digital downloads affected by Brexit?

With Theresa May’s Brexit statement coming today, announcing that Britain will be leaving the European single market, it couldn’t come at a worse time for highlighting the impact the drop in the pound is having on the cost of technology and goods, amongst other things. Apple has been silently making increases to it’s range of physical products over the past few months for the UK market too, including increases in their hardware such as iPads, Macbooks and iPhones.