Mobile Mania

As Apple gets ready to preview its new software developers' kit and an updated iPhone operating system next week, there could be some changes to the company's App Store too.

We're hearing rumors that Apple could introduce a "premium" section in the store, in order to sell more expensive third-party programs. The premium section would largely be focused on games, giving game makers a channel to offer more in-depth (and pricier) titles without getting lost in the clutter of free and $1 apps.

Game makers contacted by Wired.com, including Activision and Electronic Arts, have not returned calls for a comment. Apple has also not returned calls for comment.

This "velvet rope" section of Apple's store could feature software programs that cost $20 or more, making it friendlier to publishers whose products are too complicated to be created in one developer's spare time. That change would make the App Store more friendly to game publishers, as well as enterprise software companies such as SAP that would otherwise prefer to focus on the more business-user targeted BlackBerry phones. BlackBerry is expected to launch its own app store, called the BlackBerry App World, later this month.

The Apple App store is a big hit among users. Independent app makers can make hundreds of thousands of dollars hawking games such as iShooter or Twitter apps like Tweetie.

But along with the increased downloads, developers have seen the average price for games pushed down steadily. Three weeks ago, Silicon Valley Insider analyzed prices of the top 100 paid apps in the iPhone app store. Their spreadsheet showed apps prices dropped an average of 19 percent over the previous two months.

A premium section or a tiered App Store could help change that. The premium section could offer a channel for the more expensive products and protect the $20 price point.

In November, Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak called the iPhone and iPod Touch "the future of gameplay," and in January, Gadget Lab reported on the iPhone's future as a gaming platform. By offering a premium section in the App Store, that future could be more secure.