What is stated in the article about Pocket Casts (a podcast app) is false. The timeline of events was basically:
1. Pocket Casts exists as a paid app for years (the cost is paid upfront).
2. Pocket Casts goes freemium. All current features are made entirely free. A new cloud file feature is introduced, requiring a monthly/yearly subscription called Pocket Casts Plus.
3. In response to backlash, users who paid upfront are given a lifetime of Plus access.
I get that this could be considered part of a broader trend, but in this case, paid users never lost access to the features they paid for.
I have the same annoyance with random companies advertising lifetime warranties.
Not only are they rarely really granted, but also are they only for the lifetime of the company...
1. Pocket Casts exists as a paid app for years (the cost is paid upfront).
2. Pocket Casts goes freemium. All current features are made entirely free. A new cloud file feature is introduced, requiring a monthly/yearly subscription called Pocket Casts Plus.
3. In response to backlash, users who paid upfront are given a lifetime of Plus access.
I get that this could be considered part of a broader trend, but in this case, paid users never lost access to the features they paid for.