Apple is expected to unveil new versions of its flagship tablet devices on Oct. 22. At these events, the company typically likes to show off the device's capabilities with one of its most interesting and fun applications, GarageBand. If you're a music enthusiast and you're thinking about putting the audio mixer on your iOS 7 device, new reports indicate that it might be a bad time to spend the $4.99 on the app.
MacRumors has reportedly spotted a page on Apple' site that has since been reverted that indicates the app will be going free sometime in the near future. The page showed an icon for the app along with a footnote that said it was free for all compatible iOS 7 devices. According to GigaOM, the note read:
"GarageBand is free on the App Store for all iOS 7 compatible devices; additional GarageBand instruments and sounds are available with an in-app purchase. iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are free on the App Store for qualifying iOS 7 compatible devices activated on or after September 1, 2013."
With the company expected to announce two new iPads tomorrow, the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2, tomorrow. An update to GarageBand seems likely as Apple has typically liked to use the events to show off its GarageBand app in the past. Last month it spent a portion of its iPhone event to announce that it was making its iWork suite of apps free. It is believed that unfinished instrument and sound licensing deals are what was keeping apple from offering the app for free sooner than this.
As noted above, the system isn't entirely free. Many additional instruments will need to be purchased with money in-app. This seems like a good idea for the company as the app has attracted many amateur musicians as well as more professional and hardcore players. This would allow people who are unfamiliar with the program to give it a try for free and then purchase more ways to jam out and turn their living room into a make-shift recording studio.
