Apple have been badgering iPhone developers for some time now with instructions, requests and open begging to charge more in the app store for their wares. Apple’s revenue model works as a percentage on the amount charged, you see, so more is most definitely merrier.

So when an industry analyst from Piper Jaffray announced that the results of his recent survey of 20 iPhone developers at WWDC showed a massive 71% of apps distributed through the app store were planned to be absolutely free, this may have sent the Apple accountants running for cover.

To add insult to injury the survey showed that the average price of those apps that would be paid for was closer to $2.29 than the estimate $10 that Apple was hoping for. This is a rare mistake by the usually ultra-slick Apple boys and girls.

Munster, the author of the survey, does not believe that this difference in expected and achieved prices will affect the benefit of the app store to Apple. And we agree. What may be a slight loss here will translate to a gain for the iPhone when users realize that there is oodles of free and cheap software available for download in the app store.