When shopping for applications, most will take a look at the Top Paid Apps or Top Free Apps. Sounds easy enough to see what other iPhone users are finding useful. The system appears to rank applications based upon downloads, again this seems like a useful statistic. However, free apps that go paid are finding themselves skyrocketing to the top of the heap, with download statistics from their "free" days counting towards their "paid" status.

To keep our iPhone App Review directory up to date, I regularly check the Top Apps. Just yesterday, Crazy Lighter was added to our review directory. Crazy Lighter was a free application that featured a virtual flame. It was a nice alternative to the web based RockLighter. Great for concerts where you can break out your virtual flame just in time for your favorite power ballad. Fun, free and moderately useful, Crazy Lighter saw it's fair share of downloads since it was released on August 3rd. Looking to capitilize on a successful app, the developer has changed the price to $0.99. That's perfectly understandable. They have an app and realized there is a market for a virtual lighter. You cannot fault the developer for wanting to earn an income. I'm also not signalling out this developer, as plenty of apps are moving from free to paid. By no means is this developer alone in this practice.

The result of switching from a free app to the paid category does not reset your download rankings. During a specific window, let's say August 3rd to August 4th, Crazy Lighter was downloaded more times than more intricate apps like Crash Bandicoot or even Apple's Texas Hold'em. It's been well documented that developers are reaping the profits of an active customer base and streamlined software distribution solution. As a developer, finding yourself at the top of the list cannot be bad for sales.

Over the next few days, expect Crazy Lighter to find itself in a more appropriate position and perhaps bump in sales is justified in return for the generosity of offering the app for free during it's initial launch. If this trend continues, expect more developers to start out free and then turn paid. Seems to be a gamble worth taking. Next time you see a free app of interest, you'd be advised to download it. Prices and positioning in the App Store change by the day, but don't be fooled by the Top Paid Apps. The app you see might not be the best paid app, but rather a missed opportunity.