Mobile applications continue to proliferate, as interesting functionality and utility continue to emerge within these small, lightweight and easy-to-install software. As we’ve often heard, there seems to be an app for everything. You may say we are partial, but applications seem to enjoy a growing level of importance nowadays due to the functionality they bring to smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. Without apps, many question the utility of tablets as being more than just an oversized feature phone. And now, more OEMs are looking to leverage this trend and embed various apps to further differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

As a developer, we are keenly interested in this ongoing commentary in the community. One such topic that continues to arise is the debate around app pricing models. As devices and their capabilities evolve, it’s natural to see a similar evolution on the app development side. Here at Quickoffice, we’ve evolved tremendously in the last year to accommodate the new tablet paradigm. At the dawn of the iPad, we made an executive decision that we would develop two separate applications, one for the iPad and another for the iPhone / iPod Touch. Why, you ask? Because of three main reasons: touch interface and screen size; use case; and user expectations. When combined, it painted a compelling and necessary reason to deliver two separate apps.

Now, with this decision, also came the inevitable pricing question. For the most part, apps have always come with two basic pricing models: paid and free. However, with the evolving device ecosystem, there is further differentiation being made on the ‘paid’ apps side, distinguishing between ‘basic’ and ‘premium’ apps. The distinction between this second reference becomes harder to define, as consumers have different expectations regarding what is a ‘premium’ app and also what their interests and desires are that would lend themselves to purchasing a more ‘feature-packed’ application.

To me, it seems natural to expect these more complex, mature and extremely functional apps to be priced higher, especially as they require more development time and attention. I feel this is supported by stories that appear, like this one from PhoneDog, which questions whether tablets will eliminate the need for a home computer. Consumers pay a high amount for software on their desktops with the premise that it includes robust functionality to serve their every computing need. Following this line of thought, it would seem that if consumers are using tablets for more robust work, they would expect to pay more for applications with more functionality. Along a similar vein, BBGeeks said they’d recommend purchasing a $15 alarm clock app, as they found its new functionality intriguing enough to justify the price increase.

What do you think? Some believe that the expensive software model days are over, while others see the value of paying prime rates for ‘super apps’. Where do you draw the line, or would you?