RIM changes App World to support new billing

RIM has quietly changed the terms for BlackBerry App World in a way that gives similar terms to Apple. The smartphone creator is cutting back developers' revenue share from 80 percent of app sales to 70 percent to support new app purchasing options. New options to bill through the carrier and to buy directly with a credit card demand it, the company said.

The change puts App World's split on par with that at the iPhone's App Store as well as at other OEM-run mobile stores, such as Android Market and the Palm App Catalog. RIM has used the high payout to developers as an incentive to write apps since the store opened last year and has shifted the balance away from third-party stores like those of MobiHand, where channel sales have given developers as little as 60 percent.

Despite having a larger market share, RIM has had considerably fewer apps than others at just 6,773 apps as of press time versus over 38,000 for Android and 150,000 for the iPhone. RIM has always stressed quality over quantity but in some cases is carrying equivalents to Android and iPhone titles. [via BlackBerryOS]

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, industry, Google, Android, BlackBerry, Palm, Research in Motion, mobile phones, Apple, webOS, BlackBerry App World