Apple adds “Try Before You Buy” Section in App Store.

Quietly Apple has added a new section to its App Store that allows users to trail apps without having to make a purchase. The section, called “Try Before You Buy”, features many of the more popular free or lite editions of apps to demo. It is predicted that the popular paid for apps will be added if this feature is successful.

The section shows Apple has no intention of adding a true demo system in the foreseeable future, or competing with Google’s Android Policy of a 24-hour returning period from time of purchase.

Since launching the App Store both developers and customers have been demanding a demo period / feature to test apps. Developers want this feature so they don’t need to create and maintain a lite edition of their apps as well as dealing with customer service answering messages like “Where do I get a refund?” or “can I get a demo?” Customers want to demo apps for the obvious reasons. Screenshots, the apps name and other peoples review will only tell you so much.

Apple has also enabled the Genius Recommendations for iPad users, without an OS update. The feature is similar to iPhone and iPod touch recommendations. You can opt-in or out by turning Genius on or off.

The big question to ask is why Apple opened this section so secretly. No big announcements or interesting adverts. Maybe they didn’t want to detract attention from the largest Apple store opening in Covent Garden, or maybe they knew they were just rebranding lite versions of apps as demos and people would see through it. Either way more people would want to have been told about this development. I assume that if it is a big success they might have to look into creating a proper demo section, but it doesn’t look like they want to do that.

At the time of writing there are 98 apps listed in the Try Before You Buy area of the store.