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...