Big Changes Coming to the App Store
Apple has informed select journalists of major changes coming to the App Store. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber summarized the changes as shorter app review times, subscription-based pricing for all apps, and better app discovery. To make apps easier to find, Apple is promising a smarter Featured tab that omits installed apps, the return of the Categories tab, and paid search ads. Some of these changes may prove controversial, but it’s good to see Apple making an effort to improve the App Store experience. No mention was made of demo versions or paid upgrades for non-subscription apps, but since the new app subscriptions will have trial periods, it’s possible that Apple thinks the upcoming changes will suffice.
Hmmm, no mention of the iBookStore.