Over 35 percent of paid iOS apps changed their prices during 2012, according to a year-end report from App Store price tracker Apple Sliced. Additionally, another 32.7 percent of apps went on sale, with major titles like Fruit Ninja and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 available for free at certain points of the year, but have since returned their prices to higher levels.
Apple Sliced gathers its data through an “App Price Drops” service that monitors day-to-day prices on the App Store and allows users to set price alerts to be notified when certain apps go on sale.
The year-end report, which is primarily an advertisement for the website’s service, still provides interesting data about price fluctuations in the App Store. According to the site’s data, 35.26 percent of all paid apps “experienced a price change in 2012.” That figure accounts for changes both up and down, but the vast majority of changes were down as developers looked to use price drops to attract interest in their applications and stimulate sales.
The most successful price reductions, as measured by the Apple Sliced, were Lens+, which dropped from $1.99 to free on March 30th (it currently sells for $0.99), Slow Shutter Cam, which went from $0.99 to free on April 11th, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, which fell from $4.99 to free on December 12th (it currently sells for $0.99).
Users interested in keeping tabs on price adjustments to their favorite, or most-wanted, applications can check out the App Price Drops page and sign up to be notified automatically when prices go up or down.
Teaser graphic made with help from Shutterstock.
[via TUAW]