This will not end well: Apple App Store gets new more affordable monthly subscriptions, but not all iPhone owners are convinced

Date:
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:26:09 +0000

Description:
App Store users can now take out annual app subscriptions and pay for them on a monthly basis.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Apple has added a new App Store subscription tier It lets you pay for an annual membership on a monthly basis Its received an initially mixed reaction on social media Tired of paying through the nose for annual subscriptions to the best iOS apps ? There could be a degree of financial relief on the way thanks to new App Store rules that Apple has just implemented but not everyone is happy about the new
situation.

Previously, youd have two main choices when it came to paying for iOS app subscriptions : a rolling monthly fee or an annual payment. The latter often worked out cheaper than taking out a monthly subscription and continuing it for twelve months, but it also required a sizable up-front payment that would have put a lot of people off. Now, though, Apple says developers can offer users a more affordable option that involves buying a year-long membership
and then paying for it in monthly chunks. Article continues below You may
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That makes this new subscription level a midway point between the old monthly and annual options. Users dont have to pay up front, making it a little
easier on their finances, but theyre still locked into an annual membership, just as they would be if theyd taken out an annual subscription under the old system.

Its worth noting that the previous monthly and annual subscriptions still exist. Theyre not going anywhere, so if you dont like the new annual subscription with monthly payments tier, you dont have to use it. And interestingly, the new option will be available worldwide except for the US and Singapore. Apple didnt give a reason for that or when it would become available in these territories. The App Store is changing (Image credit:
Brett Jordan / Pexels) While this third choice from Apple means theres
another way to manage your paid-for iOS apps, not everyone is excited to try it out. Over on Reddit , in fact, some users are vocal in their displeasure.

User enki941 warned that This will not end well for consumers. Thats because they believe developers could change their subscription offerings in a way that negatively impacts customers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals
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While many apps currently offer annual tiers for, say, $100, and monthly options for $10 a month, some believe that could change to $100 for annual
and $15 for monthly passes, with the annual-paid-monthly tier being charged
at $10 a month. In other words, the monthly tier with less commitment could
go up in price, while youd only get the old monthly price by signing up for a full twelve months.

That said, plenty of users appear to be more sanguine about the situation. Reddit user Resident-Variation21 cited Adobes notorious subscription lock-ins by saying: Compared to when I used Adobe this seems like a MUCH better [user interface] for customers to truly understand what theyre signing up for and what happens if they cancel. WillowSmithsBFF, meanwhile, said that it Doesnt seem like a bad deal.

Well have to see how the cookie crumbles on this one. Getting another way to pay for apps could be good for customers, especially if it reduces the
upfront price burden. But there remains the possibility that some developers could make low-commitment monthly options more expensive, steering users towards choices that lock them into longer obligations. Time will tell, but one thing is clear: the App Store is changing, if only in a small way. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/this-will-not-end-well-apple-app-store-gets-n ew-more-affordable-monthly-subscriptions-but-not-all-iphone-owners-are-convinc ed


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