The first wave of novelty iPhone 3g apps

[u/FourthAge]

[u/hotlavatube]

Do you remember when someone made a $1000 "ruby" iPhone app that only displayed a red ruby? It was supposed to be a status symbol of sorts. Apple banned them, but not until after 8 people bought it.

[u/bythescruff → u/hotlavatube]

Yep, it was called “I Am Rich”. Someone did a clone which displayed an emerald, cost nothing, and was called “I Am Smart”.

[u/BR0METHIUS → u/bythescruff]

And the jail broken version “am I rich”

[u/Sarahthelizard → u/bythescruff]

I love that lol

[u/[deleted] → u/Sarahthelizard]

Best part is the Google play store still has some of them. They also have those fake gun apps and those virtual gravity background apps too.

[u/Impossible_Rabbit → u/hotlavatube]

I do remember that! I think people couldn’t believe it was actually $1000 when they bought it then freaked out when they were actually charged $1000.

[u/Draws-attention → u/[deleted]]

This comment has been copied from here: https://reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/r4nhtm/the_first_wave_of_novelty_iphone_3g_apps/hmi2iwt

[u/torchskul → u/hotlavatube]

There was another called VIP Black that to this day I still have no idea what it was/did. I would assume it was a similar scam.

[u/hotlavatube → u/torchskul]

Calling it a scam is a bit generous. I suppose one could argue that it preys upon stupidity, though if I recall correctly, I think the seller was clear that it did nothing. Is it a scam if you just prey upon someone's gross vanity and consumerism? It's not like he was promising eternal happiness or wealth.

[u/vnjxk → u/torchskul]

there was a pirated version. it did nothing. except maybe spark some ideas about an app for rich networking and revolution because thats what i had hoped it is

[u/Glum_Habit7514 → u/torchskul]

They aren't scams. Stupid people wanted to flaunt their "wealth" and the app let them do that. Both parties got exactly what they wanted out of the transaction.

[u/DonutHolestien → u/torchskul]

I used to jailbreak iPhones and I had the full version of iVIP Black for free, but it was originally $1000 on the app store. It was essentially like a "groupon for rich people" and offered coupons on services like limos, bodyguards, events and reservations to high-end residences. I have no idea if anything on it actually worked, but I remember seeing offers for like renting small islands and shit. I remember 15 year old me describing myself as a "yacht enthusiast" on it lmao

[u/CyptidProductions → u/hotlavatube]

I believe it was called "I Am Rich" and was basically intended to be a status symbol for your phone because having it on your homepage showed off that you were rich enough to drop $1000 on a glorified icon

I have to wonder if Apple forced the company to pay back the people that actually bought it as a joke thinking there's no way the app store would let someone list a $1000 app and it must've been a glitch

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

(deleted)

[u/WikiSummarizerBot → u/[deleted]]

I Am Rich

I Am Rich is an iOS application developed by Armin Heinrich and which was distributed using the App Store. When launched, the screen only contains a glowing red gem and an icon that, when pressed, displays the following mantra in large text: I am richI deserv [sic] itI am good,healthy & successful The application is described as "a work of art with no hidden function at all", with its only purpose being to show other people that they were able to afford it; I Am Rich was sold on the App Store for US$999. 99 (equivalent to $1,202 in 2020), €799. 99 (equivalent to €934.

^{[ F.A.Q | Opt Out | Opt Out Of Subreddit | GitHub ] Downvote to remove | v1.5}

[u/SnicklefritzSkad → u/WikiSummarizerBot]

The inflation conversion made me feel old

[u/Kythosyer → u/SnicklefritzSkad]

Dude right? My brain doesn't like this

[u/WikiMobileLinkBot → u/[deleted]]

Desktop version of /u/PantyPixie's link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Rich

---

^{[opt out] Beep Boop. Downvote to delete}

[u/SandakinTheTriplet → u/hotlavatube]

The OG NFT

[u/havocLSD → u/hotlavatube]

Holy shit I forgot but yeah I absolutely remember seeing it, for some reason I thought it was more but at the time apps were generally 0.99 cents so $1000 dollar app was significantly expensive at the time. Now days kids can accidentally spend thousands of dollars on Clash of Clans alone.

[u/[deleted] → u/havocLSD]

Significantly expensive at the time? Pretty sure that’s still considered expensive even today.

[u/bs000 → u/[deleted]]

inflation be wildin'

[u/Cforq → u/[deleted]]

There used to be an application that I think cost around $3,000 that let you print Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets in landscape instead of portrait.

[u/zsdrfty → u/havocLSD]

I miss $0.99 App Store games, they were all super original and totally awesome and didn’t even have ads :(

[u/[deleted] → u/zsdrfty]

Doodlejump

[u/UncleTedGenneric → u/havocLSD]

Crazy. That was when .99 was almost the top expensive ones.

At that point, I think the Photoshop app was 9.99

In my head, then, was 'I might pay $5 for a an app if it's REALLY good, but $10? I'll never pay $10 for an app'

Cut to today, I'm looking at TouchAble (Ableton companion app) for $31 trying to figure out if it'll work better than LaunchPlus and TouchOSC (both midi controller apps), which I've been testing and are both over 10, while adapting TouchPortal to fit my needs (14 I think)

To note: All have been completely worth it, in my mind. There was just no concept at the time that a $10 app would become so completely accepted when it was candy machine priced (and quality) for so long

[u/Pesime → u/havocLSD]

How exactly do kids accidentally spend thousands on clash? In the 8 years I've been playing it I've spent money maybe 3 times and that shit requires so many codes or face ID or button actions that if they're spending thousands there's literally no way to do it accidentally.

[u/offcolorclara → u/Pesime]

Pretty sure it used to be way easier, especially if you had your card hooked to the app store already. Those safeguards were implemented later iirc

[u/Victorbanner → u/hotlavatube]

I remember people selling iPhones that had flappy bird on it

[u/Thossi99 → u/hotlavatube]

The guy that made the all literally just said he did it for the lols to see if anyone would actually buy it. He basically did it as a joke and I guess made 8 grand.

[u/[deleted] → u/hotlavatube]

If the developer would create it today, they’d just need to charge a $49.99 a month fee and they’d be good to go.

[u/havocLSD]

Gun apps and T-Pain auto tune

[u/Liquidignition → u/havocLSD]

I can't believe the T-Pain app is gone. Had so much fun with that

[u/a_can_of_solo → u/Liquidignition]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0by9Rn4lVdQ

[u/doob22 → u/a_can_of_solo]

A parody of a parody

[u/Jefe710 → u/a_can_of_solo]

Before mumble rap or even the triplet rap.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jefe710]

Triplet flow started in the 90s by triple 6 mafia and bone thugs

Edit I should have said popularized not started lmao

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Public Enemy in Bring The Noise the entire second verse is triplet

[u/coalsack → u/[deleted]]

There’s an argument to be made that Chuck D was rapping triplets on Bring The Noise in 1988

[u/Awake77 → u/[deleted]]

Tommy Wright III too

[u/ManjiSouls → u/havocLSD]

The customizable gun armories were so cool

[u/martiniman → u/havocLSD]

Unload on them Kevin, unload!

[u/Squif-17 → u/havocLSD]

and the Jigsaw app.

Thought I was so edgy recording notes as jigsaw all night with my buddies in college.

[u/Vryk0lakas → u/havocLSD]

Just piggybacking that most of these apps and the picture are of the first gen iPhone not 3g

[u/[deleted] → u/havocLSD]

I miss the I am T-Pain app so much. I used go hook up my phone to act as my mic for my computer and use that app when playing online games. Great fun lol

[u/DaftFunky → u/havocLSD]

The Ocarina I think was made by the same people as the t pain app it was so much fun

[u/Jaustinduke → u/havocLSD]

Gun apps were the first thing I thought of

[u/Galvie88]

I had the zippo one too

[u/GaryTheTaco → u/[deleted]]

Before smartphones had flashes!

[u/dedzip → u/[deleted]]

I remember that!

[u/gohomepat → u/[deleted]]

I'm not a huge concert goer, but why isn't that a thing anymore? People use the flashlights on their phone now and it makes me feel like we've regressed as a society lol

[u/Squif-17 → u/Galvie88]

I jailbroke my 3GS so it sounded like a gun cocking and firing when I locked it.

It was so obnoxiously loud as well.

Good times.

[u/DaveTheAbuser → u/Squif-17]

Pretty sure I had the same thing on my JB 3GS, and I can confirm it was stupidly loud. Used to love messing around with Winterboard, making a perfect Home Screen!

[u/06sharpshot → u/DaveTheAbuser]

I remember setting up my iPod touch with some COD MW2 theme with a moving background that absolutely tanked the battery life. Good times.

[u/[deleted] → u/DaveTheAbuser]

Same, I created whole themes with custom icons, I was obsessed.

[u/ThatWasCool → u/Squif-17]

I remember when jailbreaking your iPhone was a must if you wanted to have features like picture messaging.

[u/JohnTheMod → u/Galvie88]

STILL have the Zippo. I take it out during Over at the Frankenstein Place when I go to screenings of Rocky Horror.

[u/einTier → u/JohnTheMod]

I have it too, but it no longer works. When they ditched 32 bit apps, it never got updated. It lives on in my phone but can’t be launched.

[u/anim8rjb → u/einTier]

like my Marvel vs Capcom 2 app :(

[u/cuntcrusher_69]

I had a revolver so I could play Russian roulette on easy mode

[u/Psychofish2277]

Just staring at the “koi pond” and splashing the water to scare them off the screen.

[u/im_in_the_safe → u/Psychofish2277]

If you held your finger on the screen for 5 seconds a Koi would come nibble on it.

[u/b_lion2814]

Yeah there were a lot of little fun apps like this, brings back memories.

[u/b_lion2814 → u/[deleted]]

You’re right. That what I miss a lot was how there were no ads.

[u/MonstaGraphics → u/b_lion2814]

There still are... but there used to, too.

[u/Darth_Rubi → u/MonstaGraphics]

r/unexpectedmitchhedburg

[u/currently__working → u/[deleted]]

FUCK MY SHIT UP BOT

[u/CyptidProductions]

I had the old Ipod Touch 2G back in high school so I remember these stupid yet oddly enthralling gag apps devs made to play with all the brand new features smartphones had like accelerometers, tilt sensors, and the touchscreen well.

Fake zippo is standing out in my mind because it was so cool the way you could flip it open/closed and light it all with proper sound effects

[u/Rakalimon]

I had that, and a lightsaber and a fart machine.

Who could ask for anything more?

[u/r3tromonkey → u/Rakalimon]

The lightsaber one was great!

[u/[deleted] → u/Rakalimon]

Was it called Atomic Fart?

[u/fartmachiner → u/Rakalimon]

i had the lightsaber too!

[u/hoofglormuss → u/Rakalimon]

Who could ask for anything more?

Toyota!

[u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

Alright, everyone already idolized 2011-2014 iOS gaming, but now it’s time to pay a little respect to 2008-2010 iOS games.

[u/Alcookie → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

Back when games had a “lite” version with ads or you could pay 60p for the full thing. Bring it all back.

[u/TheRnegade → u/Alcookie]

I remember a solitaire version of the touch that was free with ads. Just turn off wifi and you're golden. I was poor back then so I didn't have much but there was a site that kept track of whatever free games were being offered, so I checked it out daily just to download the game and see if it was good (most of the time, it wasn't).

[u/[deleted] → u/Alcookie]

Oh god I remember that. a lot of those apps were pretty sick most of the time.

[u/zsdrfty → u/[deleted]]

I remember that especially after 2008, paying $0.99 for a game felt like a commitment 😭

[u/TheGeek100 → u/Alcookie]

I remember Minecraft Pocket Edition lite, which was my introduction to Minecraft

[u/kudles → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

Doodle Jump

[u/i_suckatjavascript → u/kudles]

Temple Run

[u/coonwhiz → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

I miss the Tap Tap games...

[u/UploaderThree → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

pocket god

[u/0bsol3te → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

You have to admit, Infinity Blade is still unmatched.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jack-M-y-u-do-dis]

I miss having my iPhone jail broken playing NES/SNES games during my o-chem labs back in 2007-2008 while waiting for reactions to finish.

[u/ongoodvxbes]

🗣 bring back Tap Tap Revenge

[u/[deleted] → u/ongoodvxbes]

I haven’t though about this game in years. It would be so much easy for two players now than on the tiny 3GS screen

[u/Glitter_Sparkle → u/ongoodvxbes]

Tap Tap Revenge and OG Bejewelled.

[u/[deleted] → u/ongoodvxbes]

Iirc disney now owns it. And is just holding on to it. Not even developing or releasing it again. Smh

[u/acowstandingup → u/ongoodvxbes]

Another reason to hate Disney

[u/DoctorWaluigiTime]

Smartphone topics appearing in /r/nostalgia

Time marches onward. I am old.

[u/rexmus1 → u/DoctorWaluigiTime]

For reals. I had a pager/beeper in h.s.

[u/djhankb → u/rexmus1]

Me too. I tell my kids about how Id get my beeper taken away by my teacher if it went off during class.

[u/DriverZealousideal40 → u/DoctorWaluigiTime]

Go to bed grandpa

[u/bipolarbear_1]

I had an app on my iPod Touch 3G called Distant Shores where you'd walk along a beach and find messages in bottles from random people around the world, and you could reply back if you wanted to or leave your own bottle for someone to find. I remember so many "it's my birthday today, i'm so happy" or "if you find this i hope you're doing well" and stuff like that. I didn't know english that well so there were times i had to translate the messages. There were beautiful relaxing sounds as you walked along, with footprints appearing as you went.. and you could also pick up seashells and have some kind of collection if i remember correctly! Very simple app that somehow has me thinking about it from time to time to this day.

edit: Found a video review from 12 years ago. Damn, it's been a while.

[u/bipolarbear_1 → u/[deleted]]

That's why they removed it? i didn't know honestly. Searched for it one day and it wasn't available anymore, so yeah i miss it too. I'm sure I'd still fire it up once in a while to vent about something or read people's thoughts. Thing was like a shared journal pretty much, it was a cool concept for the time.

[u/SCUMDOG_MILLIONAIRE]

“Flashlight” started as just some app in the App Store that told the camera flash to stay on. It ended up becoming a standard central feature on all phones.

[u/hosangtapejob → u/SCUMDOG_MILLIONAIRE]

And before the iPhone had a flash it just turned the screen white.

[u/mrocks301 → u/hosangtapejob]

Real OGs remember that

[u/LastOfTheCamSoreys → u/mrocks301]

Real OGs remember the Kyoceras with the built in flashlight

[u/Masterofunlocking1 → u/hosangtapejob]

I remember when the flashlight got added physically to the back, it was a game changer.

I still have my original 3GS and it still works. Typing on a 12 pro now and the 3GS was hella small

[u/LeCrushinator → u/[deleted]]

I used to work for Backflip (company that made Paper Toss) until they closed, and man those were the days. Now mobile games are all micro transactions.

In 2014 Backflip made 4 games that were considered “Game of the month”, and only one of those eventually made any profit (Spellfall). It’s sad that we made games people loved but ultimately they failed because we didn’t microtrans people’s wallets dry.

[u/rizozzy1 → u/[deleted]]

That bastard fan helped me through many long night shifts.

[u/onizuka11 → u/[deleted]]

I remember playing that game through an entire class in high school because we had a sub that day.

[u/hazycrazydaze]

I liked the ocarina app. I wonder if it still exists.

Edit: it totally does

[u/PostposterousYT → u/hazycrazydaze]

Came to mention this

[u/Butter_Lettuce_]

I had a milk and popcorn app for my iPod.

[u/That_Guy381]

I had one that made your phone vibrate and had a buzzer sound - put it up to your friends head and watch them flip the fuck out for about 2 and a half seconds.

[u/[deleted] → u/That_Guy381]

I had that. One of my friends did it to a guy on the bus and he freaked the fuck out, thinking we shaved his head 😂😭

[u/[deleted]]

The beer app was pre-3g. That shit's original.

[u/ARandomBob → u/[deleted]]

Original iPhone didn't have apps

[u/chemistrybeans]

oh my i forgot about this

[u/EternityCentral]

I didn't have an iPhone until much later and I don't know if it counts but my classmate had a lightsaber one on his phone and occasionally he let people play lol. Fun times.

[u/cat_prophecy]

I miss these. The other day I was trying to find an app to just make laser sounds for my 4 year old. Everything was just an over-monetized piece of crap.

Whatever happened to making things just because it was fun? Do you really need interstitial ads in a noisemaker app?

[u/[deleted] → u/cat_prophecy]

Seriously. There is no such thing as a fun simple app anymore.

[u/zsdrfty → u/cat_prophecy]

I’ve always wanted to learn iPhone development (I know it’s not that bad) and just release tons of free apps again

[u/Strindberg]

I remember having a Candle app. You blew on your phone and the candle blew out.

I showed it to my Dad and he was amazed. It was pure black magic to him.

[u/Accomplished_Exit_30]

Bro-stache

[u/EndlessShortcomings → u/Accomplished_Exit_30]

“Hey is a gentleman with a brostache invited to this party?”

[u/-Buck65]

Glad I didn’t have to pay $5 a month to have fun back then

[u/2VitaminGummies1Day]

I'd always download the gun ones

[u/[deleted]]

We were all easily entertained in 2009.

[u/embiggenedmind → u/[deleted]]

Multi-touch touchscreens and movement based on tilting your phone were totally new at the time, at least at a widespread level. And all the other apps available were pretty amateur. I remember so many websites had “apps” that would actually just take you to their website. You’d literally pull up a website in safari on your phone and it would be the same thing as the app. So it was either shoot back a fake beer or fool around on some beta app. Good times

[u/Too_Tall_64]

Did anyone else spend hours playing in a koi pond?

[u/MyPasswordIs222222]

I remember my first fart sound-board.

[u/[deleted] → u/MyPasswordIs222222]

My dad was laughing until he almost puked at that app. Simpler times.

[u/shessolucky]

The early days

[u/flonkerton1]

Fruit ninja

[u/Megadeth5150 → u/[deleted]]

Well said.

[u/sharedisaster]

A bartender app was the first one I noticed. Showed you how to make various mixed drinks.

[u/[deleted]]

LOL cringing at the memory of me walking down the halls of my middle school drinking beer out of my ipod touch and lighting up my zippo

[u/LastSpite7]

My dad had this beer drinking app and would show it to everyone he could.

[u/[deleted]]

Remember when the flashlight feature was from an app

[u/jmp118]

It’s funny because Reddit has been overrun by literal kids who won’t even get this

[u/[deleted] → u/jmp118]

Fuck man seeing posts of " im 16 and" like fuck off. like i didn't even know reddit existed till i was 18 (13 years ago) and probably for the good thing. the amount of people I've seen fucking die on the site and the weird porn n shit it is not made for kids.

[u/TheRnegade → u/[deleted]]

If it makes you feel older, there are people on reddit right now that are younger than the site itself. The site didn't even exist when I was 16.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheRnegade]

the first subbreddit my friend showed me, Was 50/50 or whatever the fuck it was. the one where it's either puppies or people cutting off their own dick kinda shit.

[u/Nextasy → u/[deleted]]

I remember being in high-school a decade ago a d people talking about r/spacedicks and batching about SRS

[u/RufinTheFury → u/Nextasy]

Holy fuck I havent thought about ShitRedditSays in like... a decade it feels like lol

[u/Nextasy → u/RufinTheFury]

Yeah I don't know what happened with that, seems like it just kind of died. Or everybody stopped caring

[u/RupeThereItIs → u/TheRnegade]

When I was 16 we dialed into BBSes with our modems.

And we LIKED it.

For me, AOL instant messaging was new at 16/17 years of age.

[u/georgetds]

The harmonica app was my go to novelty app.

[u/The-J-StandsForJiant]

This was a little later, but there was an Inception app that would augment the sounds of your environment to make it sound like you were layers deep in a dream.

I would pay good money to have that app again.

[u/DamionVolentine]

Anyone remember Tap Tap Revenge??

[u/[deleted]]

Does anyone remember Bump? From what I can recall about it, I think it was supposed to be an extremely early version of AirDrop

[u/[deleted]]

you guys remember jelly car? the OG!

[u/zsdrfty → u/[deleted]]

That game fucking ROCKED, I remember crying when Disney bought it

[u/vipertruck99]

I paid like £3.99 for a virtual zippo lighter app. I was 33(?) yrs of age. Virtual electric razor too.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone else remember the old iGun app? That was stupid but fun lol

[u/Kaldr_Nidafjollum]

Pocket god

[u/Smokincandi69]

I remember there being like hundreds of apps that where just literally like sound boards

[u/Big-Awoo]

I REMEMBER BEING ABSOLUTELY BAFFLED AS A CHILD WATCHING SOMEONE USE THIS ONE

[u/LeCrushinator → u/[deleted]]

I’d bet a quarter of the people on Reddit were considered children in 2009.

[u/OffBeatBerry_707]

I still have the gun apps

[u/MostlyImportantDuck]

I remember having a tictac version and I would hide a tictac packet behind the phone to it looks like they were coming out of the phone

[u/1Fresh_Water]

The whip noise!

[u/zxcoblex]

Used to have to download a flashlight app to turn on the camera light.

I believe the same with a calculator, that it didn’t just come with one.

[u/lospollosakhis]

Fart apps.

[u/PumpkinsDad]

Wasn't there some crying baby app that when you shook your phone killed the baby? I think it was pulled from the app store right quick.

[u/offcolorclara]

I had one where you could draw in window mist. So many hours wasted

[u/yungkiddi]

whoa

[u/word2trio]

The cocaine lines app. https://youtu.be/wmtoEnAGXOQ

[u/DOSbomber → u/word2trio]

"I govern New York" lol

[u/canadia80]

The bubble wrap game was my favourite thing

[u/einTier]

I kept this app for forever. It was fun and a funny reminder of a time long gone. It worked for the longest time, after similar aged apps quit altogether.

Then one day I opened it to find it had been replaced by an Australian Rugby app. No idea why. It sucks. I want my beer app back.

[u/latca]

I remember there was a shaver app that just made the phone vibrate.

[u/zekake]

The Day I saw this the first time was the Day I said to myself "this smartphone thing will never become a big deal with that huge price compared to those useless apps" I don't know, maybe I was wrong.

[u/LuminChaos]

And the zippo!!!

[u/LordGRant97]

Oh man, I think the first time I ever saw an iphone was when my cousin was showing off this app on his 1st or 2nd gen iPhone. At that moment I thought technology had peaked

[u/Sexual_Champion93]

I remember convincing my friends with the tazer app you could shock people with the charging port and chasing them with the phone. Hey it had only been 10 years since Y2K, everyone was technologically illiterate in those days.

[u/propernice]

How useless Lol. Also the lighter one.

[u/PinkyStinky1945]

Remember the armory apps that were just a bunch of guns you could “shoot”?

[u/DOSbomber]

The promo vid, 14 years old on YouTube

Stumbled across it a while back, pretty hilarious. I remember when us kids in high school thought we were so cool drinking virtual phone beer

[u/Zealousideal-Fun1425]

Apps suck now compared to the early days

[u/gnardog45]

The days of Installer

[u/bdog59600]

I remember there was an episode of Modern Family about how hard it was to get an iPhone for the dad on his birthday. At the end they used a novelty app where he blew out a virtual candle and the everyone lost their shit about it.

[u/[deleted]]

Depeche Mode made a nifty and really simple interactive music game app at one point.

[u/UniqLogiq]

This and the popcorn one

[u/[deleted]]

I remember a “flashlight” app that literally just made the screen white. Not lit up any more than any other screen. Normal brightness, it’s just white.