iOS 8 App Bundles Allow Developers to Offer Discounts

Apple has debuted App Store bundles with iOS 8, allowing developers to offer groups of apps to users at a discount. Bundles are being advertised front and centre in the App Store, and are currently sorted into three categories: Apps, Games and Kids.

The bundles currently on offer contain between two and nine apps, with groups of three and four being the most common. Clicking each bundle's icon displays a sheet with links to each individual app, plus the combined pricing and the price before discount. With one purchase, the user will receive all the individual apps.

Users who already own one or more apps in a bundle are offered the option to complete the bundle, and can buy the rest of the apps by paying the difference. Current bundles include one from Readdle, which includes PDF Expert 5, Printer Pro, Scanner Pro and Calendars 5. The Pixite Photo Kit consists of Union, Matter, Fragment, Tangent and LoryStripes, all of which cost Rs. 120 individually but are offered for the combined price or Rs. 490. Discounts can also be more significant - a collection of three classical music apps from Touch Press would cost Rs. 2,370 individually but are being offered in a bundle for Rs. 1,550.

The game bundles include a compilation of Where's My Water, Where's My Mickey and Where's My Perry, all from Disney for Rs. 300 as opposed to Rs. 500. Atypical Games' Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders and Sky Gamblers: Cold War are available for Rs. 370 when purchased together, as opposed to Rs. 300 each. Gameloft's Modern Combat 5: Blackout and Gangstar Vegas will cost Rs. 490 rather than Rs. 420 and Rs. 190 respectively.

According to Apple's documentation, App developers may only offer bundles if their price is lower than the sum of the prices of the individual apps. Up to 10 apps may be included in a bundle, but an app can appear in no more than three bundles at any time. Bundles will only contain apps that are also available individually. In the case of kids' apps which fall into multiple age rating bands, the highest age rating will apply to the entire bundle.

Apple has also started highlighting apps which use its new Metal framework for 3D graphics programming as "Enhanced by Metal". The App Store in iOS 8 has received a minor enhancement with a new Explore tab that highlights interesting apps across categories, and video demos in app descriptions.