Upgrade Pricing via Multiple Apps, URL Schemes, and I-AP
On Gabe Weatherhead’s site, Michael Burford of Headlight Software explains how they implemented upgrade pricing for FTP On The Go:
Apps can say they handle a “URL Scheme” so instead of http:// opening the web browser, fb:// will open the facebook app. Other apps can check if a particular scheme is supported. Our ftp apps just have their own scheme that can be checked.
Depending which if any the earlier FTP apps it finds, it shows the different in-app purchases as you saw :) As far as we know, we’re the first to do anything like this to offer discounted upgrades to previous owners.
The upgrade app itself is free but not fully functional. Then they offer an In-App Purchase to activate all the features, and the price for the I-AP varies depending on whether you have the previous version installed. There are currently five different versions of the app in the store.
We were as explicit about what we’re doing in the “Reviewer Notes” to Apple as we could be, even asking for a delayed higher level review. Even before activating, it can do quite a bit, many browsing and viewing tasks. If all you need is to view a file on an FTP server, you can do that in the free app.
It’s a clever solution for sure, but Apple is crazy if they think this sort of model is more customer friendly than supporting proper upgrades.
