Have you ever browsed Apple’s AppStore and laughed at one of those apps priced $10 or more? Take a look at these apps which make that $10 price tag look like an absolute bargain.
While certain apps such as professional tools and textbooks are expensive for good reason, other apps will make you wonder if some developers are out to deliberately rip off unwitting users.
In any case, here are a few of the most expensive apps (useful or otherwise) available in the AppStore:
Perfect Penalty 2012 – $299.99
This app’s description claims that this soccer game has “the most realistic graphics” and “the most realistic simulation,” but user reviews say otherwise. For a game that costs almost as much as a brand new iPad itself, having a pathetic customer rating of just 2 stars surely indicates that you can also call this a Perfect Waste of Money.
iDIA – Diagnostic Imaging Atlas, Small Animal Support – $399.99
Here’s a great example of how technology can help others. iDIA is designed so veterinarians can give clients very detailed explanations of procedures or conditions regarding their pets by using cutting-edge graphics, animations, and illustrations.
The Alchemist SMS – $449.99
No this isn’t some insanely priced text messaging app – the “SMS” in its title stands for “Scrap Management System.” This utility app is designed to reduce raw material costs for steel and scrap metal recycling. If you think it’s too expensive, it used to be $999.99.
VIP Black – $999.99
According to its description, VIP Black is “the world’s first premium lifestyle app.” If you’re wealthy enough to spend a whopping $999.99 on an app, VIP Black will treat you to unique privileges from their “global range of luxury partners and services.” But get this – upon downloading the app, you’ll also need to verify that your assets are above $1.5 million.
I don’t think any of these apps have any real use for the everyday person. They could be useful in certain professional settings but I struggle to see them taking off. $300 for a soccer game is just beyone belief though.
It’s for the snobs.
Luxury is subjective, and so are tastes. Some people find they enjoy a product if it costs more, and that’s pretty much a psychology tick.
So long as the consumer is happy with the product, that’s all that matters. Luxury products are a large part of the free market, and expense is no reason to snub them. But at least it’s a game and not spherical ice, right?
I think it’s for the snobs because they could buy a very similar app or have it for free and donate the rest to an organization that is going to spend it totally on helping children.
I don’t think that such apps are for the “snobs”, rahter, I think that the publishers are taking advantage of the niche that they belong to – in much the same way as college textbooks cost an absolute fortune – because they know that people have to pay out for them.
I think these apps would be much more of a status symbol for the rich who have absolutely nothing better to do with their money. The “VIP” label on the 999 dollar app says it all.
@missbishi
That’s kind of the point. Two of them are targeting business professionals (vets and metal workers) and the other two target those with more money than sense.
These apps aren’t targeting quick sales, they’re relying on exclusivity (in the game and social media app cases) to generate sales, which they will simply because a lot of people associate higher cost with higher quality. It’s hard to take that seriously if you’re familiar with the app market, though, as there are thousands of free apps that do it better.
The imaging app and recycling app on the other hand are targeting people who can use this to great benefit in their professions, and it’s likely these are far cheaper than any similar resources professionals had access to previously aside from in-house developed solutions.
Perfect Penalty sounds perfectly ridiculous, especially considering the poor reviews. VIP Black, I really have no words. The other two apps, they at least have some professional value, so it makes some sense that there’d be a pretty steep price.
That’s crazy that Apple even allows developers to charge that much for paid apps, not to mention that people actually go and purchase them for so high a value. That makes Apple seem a bit greedy that they’d attach any price tag knowing full well a nice portion of their dedicated fan base would buy it. None of the apps featured in this article are worth any kind of money like that. That is purely ridiculous indeed.
Well, allowing people to pick a price to represent their product is the essence of capitalism. Apple’s not allowing them to list it high to make a buck, really. They’re allowing them to list it at what they want. Apple only makes money if the app sells and if the price is too high it never will.
I think it’s really interesting because I’ve always asked myself how can they be that expensive. It’s indeed perhaps just a rich thing because such worthless things could have a value that’s insane and the rich would have it to show off.
I think some of them are pretty insane. I wonder if they are just trying to get a few targeted sales and pull the app off the market or change the licensing. Even with that the prices seem ridiculous. it would be interesting to see demographic info if they get any paying customers.
There’s really no point in any of these apps, sadly. The only thing you’ll possibly get out of purchasing any of these is the satisfaction of beholding the bragging rights of buying the most expensive apps on the market. But let’s be honest, there’s no satisfaction in spending almost a thousand dollars on a pointless app. You could’ve bought a TV or a computer with that amount of money, for crying out loud!
I do not think that none of these app are really useful for normal people except the iDIA app for animals. It can actually be used in school and may be worth it for the extra edge. The soccer app really seems overrated and it would better to just play the game in real life. Also I still do not understand what the VIP app does. The scrape one could be useful but not for that price.
Apart from the iDIA application (which let alone is not quite worth), the other apps are beyond ridiculous. How does one charge $300 on a football game that doesn’t even revolutionize the genre? Hell, not even FIFA has come to that point!
Haha, I wonder what premium services are included in that $1k app. I mean, not even people who are wealthy would buy that app just because they can. They didn’t make a lot of money because they spent their wealth on random things.
Oh my, I’ll definitely never be able to try out VIP Black, lol. As if being able to pay that price wasn’t enough for them, they also ask the person to prove they are rich, just wow. I wonder if that app offers really good things to those who are wealthy enough to use it. For that price it better be! I wonder what the people who have bought it have to say about it?
Although those prices are ridiculously high and I’d never buy any of them myself doesn’t mean someone with the money shouldn’t. Sure, there might be cheaper alternatives or they could use their money for something else but it’s still their money and if they want to waste it – there’s nothing we can do about that – sadly.
Are you joking?!! This is unreal, to people actually pay that sort of money for these apps?? If only I had enough money to waste $300 on a football app. (I’m british, it’s football not soccer,haha.)