Aug 27, 2013
There are 900,000 apps in Apple's App Store, but only a few cost the top price of $999.99.
The Apple Store is the largest app store in the world, with more than 900,000 apps in total, consisting of both free and paid apps. Although 90 percent of iOS apps are now free, according to app analytics provider Flurry, some are expensive beyond imagination.
The highest price that any developer can charge for an app on the iOS App Store is $999.99 (£638). When the App Store first opened, a number of novelty apps were launched aimed at people with more money than sense. The most notable example was I Am Rich - an iPhone app that did nothing except proclaim the user's affluence (now it's out of AppStore, but available in Google Play for free).
These days, however, the $999.99 club is made up primarily of apps with legitimate purposes, and mobile blog Top Apps has put together a list of the the 16 most expensive apps in the App Store.
Only four developers charge the top price of $999.99. One of these is VIP Black, which claims to give owners “VIP treatment - extra-special experiences like complimentary upgrades, surprise gifts, welcome packages, exclusive rates, priority access, and other unique privileges - across iVIP Ltd’s global range of luxury partners and services.”
As if paying nearly $1,000 for the app wasn't enough, VIP Black also requires buyers to prove that their income is above £1 million.
Other members of the top four include BarMax CA, an app to help law students pass the bar exam, and Agro, which is used by farmers to keep track of their crops. Meanwhile, MobiGage NDI is aimed at helping manufacturers put together part orders.
The remaining 12 apps decrease rapidly in cost, (and some would say value), with the last on the list costing just $49.99. The full list is available below.
Warning: some of these applications may be scams.
Described as ‘The Millionaire’s App’, VIP is an exclusive lifestyle application. Members receive full VIP treatment at all iVIP partner venues worldwide, and the iVIP Concierge is available to serve their every need. Applicants are required to certify they are "high net worth individuals" with assets and/or income in excess of £1 million.
BarMax, created by Harvard Law School alumni, is a comprehensive bar exam review course. The full course is available on the iPad and iPhone, allowing users to study from almost anywhere. In 2012, BarMax students had a pass rate that was over 20 points higher than the state average.
Agronomists are involved with producing food, creating healthier food, managing environmental impact of agriculture, and creating energy from plants. The Agro app allows them to visit a client, complete an inspection report, hold the sale of products then move to the next client knowing that all paperwork is done and sent by the time they drive out the gate.
MobiGage is a metrology iPhone application used for the inspection of manufactured parts and assemblies. MobiGage creates, edits, and runs measurement plans and automates inspection processes. The app is designed to connect specifically with the Northern Digital (NDI) industrial measurement systems.
Preebs aims to make the commute to work more rewarding by providing coupons and games, and allowing users to customise the billboards they pass on their way to work. We think this one might be a scam.
A dubious-looking football game that claims to let players re-enact El Clasico. It claims to have "the most realistic graphics and simulation," but reviewers describe it as "pointless".
MobileCamViewer lets business users watch and control their live security and surveillance cameras via a mobile phone. It claims to provide a high return on investment and save users time and money. The developer, mobiDEOS, also offers a free version for consumers.
Business management software that allows the user to create professional quotes and invoices straight from their iPhone. The app claims to be ideal for preliminary design reviews and vehicle repairs.
The SafeSession app provides secure Voice-over-IP calls via your mobile. Phone conversations are protected by voice encryption algorithms, which prevent them from being hacked, but only if the person on the other end has also installed the SafeSession secure software on their device.
An app that uses Bluetooth to replicate the normal functions of your mobile phone when in flight mode. BizJet Mobile claims to make its connection directly via the “existing” aircraft satellite link and routes the calls and data outside of the cellular roaming network, so there are no roaming charges.
A set of virtual snow globes that allow the user to churn up white snowflakes using their finger, or by shaking and tilting the screen. The developer claims that the globe runs "a fluid dynamics simulation as well as using gravity and shaking to produce snow motion". Worth £140? Not likely.
G-map claims to be the first voice-prompted turn-by-turn GPS navigation software available for iPhone and iPod Touch. It uses text-to-speech technology, allowing users to keep their eyes on the road, and traffic levels along the selected route are shown in different colours.
An app that works with LogMeIn software to provide remote access to computers, files and applications. Users can transfer files or wake up a sleeping computer remotely, or print over-the air.
A home automation app that allows users to control entertainment and environmental systems from their iPhone or iPad. Mobile Pro uses 3G or Wi-Fi communication to keep the user connected in the home, office and on the go.
This app claims to be able to scan your fingerprint and tell you how sexy you are at that particular moment in time. It also tells you the perfect time to meet the opposite sex. The assessment is apparently based on the pressure and temperature of your finger - neither of which the iPhone can actually measure.
This app teaches you to cook like the pros without ever leaving your kitchen table. Developed by the Culinary Institute of America, it includes more than 100 embedded videos, demonstrating professional tips and tricks for bringing 850 restaurant-worthy recipes to the dining room table.
The source: The Telegraph