Could spur interest in otherwise costly titles

Apple may be planning to allow iOS app rentals, code in iTunes 10.5 beta 9 shows. A series of strings contain related prompts, most importantly "Do you want to start playing the app '%S'," and "Apps are automatically removed from your iTunes library at the end of the rental period." Apple currently only rents movies, having even discontinued TV show rentals.

The idea of renting mobile apps is unusual, but could break down a fundamental barrier at the App Store. Although some iOS apps are priced more like conventional Mac and Windows software, the most successful titles are typically selling for $5 or less. With rentals a person could conceivably pay less for a GPS app when going on vacation, for instance, or the iWork suite when doing a short-term project.

Alternately the scheme might be a way of institutionalizing time-limited demos. Developers have typically got around restrictions by creating free "lite" apps, or else requiring that some features be bought via in-app purchase. Apple could potentially reveal rental plans at tomorrow's iPhone event.

by MacNN Staff