$2.99 Minimum for BlackBerry Apps

Research in Motion is not about to give up its hold on the corporate market. Charge them for apps — no freebies for you corporate types.  Released just in time for the CTIA Wireless show. The scoop, via Crackberry:

It seems RIM has decided the minimum price for paid apps will be $2.99. Potentially good news for developers, but bad news for the BlackBerry owners out there thinking that RIM’s application storefront would usher in 99 cent BlackBerry app pricing a la the iPhone App Store. Of course, free apps are still welcome, but as previously blogged the way their developer agreement is currently structured it’ll cost money to submit free apps to the store. Most people are willing to pay $3 (or more) for an app if it’s a good app. Where the 99 cent and $1.99 tiers fit well are for the not good but fun apps (fart apps, beer apps, etc.) which by the looks of this RIM would rather not see hit their app store.

Let’s face it, the iPhone is still years ahead of the others. No touch-screen handheld comes close to matching its utility, and Apple’s App Store is revolutionizing how people love their iPhone. Look, I’ve had a BlackBerry since 2003, and they’ve improved remarkably since. Use it every waking moment of my day.

I think RIM missed it here. There are 25,000 apps for the iPhone so far, so competitors have to go something truly exceptional to get people’s attention. If Apple ever does a deal with Verizon, the party’s over.

But since I left SES Americom, my employer of ten years, I’ve asked myself why I need my Curve when I can do so much more done with an iPhone? Enough said: I’ll get one next week; can’t hold out much longer.