AppStore a la Google - Android Market is Official

[Kyle Matthews]

Remember Android? Google’s messiah OS for mobile phones, the one whom the prophecies foretold? Well, its still around - in fact, the first Android phone is rumored to be hitting the streets via T-Mobile on October 13th.

In an unsurprising move, Thursday Google announced Android Market, essentially AppStore for Android. According to the Android guys, “...developers can expect the first handsets to be enabled with a beta version of Android Market. Some decisions are still being made, but at a minimum you can expect support for free (unpaid) applications. Soon after launch an update will be provided that supports download of paid content and more features such as versioning, multiple device profile support, analytics, etc.”



The article doesn’t mention anything about developer’s having to pay to sign up - they reference the YouTube sign-up method, saying you just sign up, upload/describe, and publish. A ratings/feedback system similar to the YouTube style is also in place for Android Market.

With the rampant success of the AppStore, and the open-source, friend-of-all feel of Android, Android Market was a given. One can assume it will easily integrate with Google Checkout (Google’s PayPal alternative) for purchasing. Google hints they’re working with their partners on the handset release in the same sentence they mention pricing - could Android Market purchases be simply added to your carrier bill as a payment option?

Android already has hundreds of apps available, thanks to the Android Developer Challenge. I’m sure we can expect these, as well as hundreds/thousands more (can you hear all those AppStore iPhone devs fingers tapping the keyboards as they get those ports ready?) to show up in the Android Market at launch, or very soon after. The AppStore has proven to be such a success that mobile developing has been pushed to new limits. Part of that was the incredible hardware Apple included in the iPhone - but most of those specs (GPS, 3G, BlueTooth, camera, etc) are in any higher end phone these days. Apple’s success with the iPhone is in the beautiful engineering, and now, easy to access software offerings. Android Market combined with some quality hardware will entice many of the iPhone devs to get Android versions going, and Google’s OS vs hardware approach to the mobile market may just open the Android Market to an even broader range than the AppStore hits.

It will also be interesting to see how they choose to filter the apps - again, since Google is not launching a /device/, but instead an OS, not all phones will have all features. For instance, cab4me, one of the winners of the Google ADC, uses GPS and cell-based location services - but there will probably be apps that support only GPS. If your phone doesn’t have GPS - Android Market will have to filter that app out, or be faced with tons of email support explaining why it won’t work, and customer service time getting those folks refund. No word on a required set of features in an Android phone yet - that may also be a solution, having the handset makers agree to a standard minimum set of features on any Android handset.

Either way, Android Market could prove to be just as huge a success as the AppStore, especially with the multiple handset approach Google is taking - the Android handset saturation could be much higher with lower priced phones and a less strict carrier set-up (already 7 carriers are signed up on the Open Handset Alliance, including T-Mobile and Sprint in the US). It’s an exciting time for mobile software development, both for developer and end users - we all win.

Android Developer's Blog

[UiK]

Cool. Hope they destroy Apple in the market

[smirkis]

Cool. Hope they destroy Apple in the market

and ur on this site because?

and how could they? who wants to carry around this piece


we want touch screen, large visual, and sleek design. this thing is a over sized blackberry

[tomred]

Apparently you haven't seen the final product of the G1 which is made by HTC and called the dream.

It is confirmed that Tmobile is getting the HTC Dream and you can preoprder on Sept 17 IF you are a current Tmobile customer and eligible for an upgrade I.E. 22 months or more without a previous upgrade. Other wise you can order it Oct 13 on release date.

528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor
Data kit for USB connectivity in the box
64MB Internal RAM
128MB Internal ROM
1GB MicroSD card
5 Row QWERTY keypad
Trackball
3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
Video playback files - H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP
Dedicated YouTube Player
Audio playback files - MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV, MIDI, REAL AUDIO, OGG
Speakerphone (mono, natch)
Ringtones (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA)
HTTP, WAP Push, xHTML
Bluetooth (class 1)
Picture Caller ID
POP, IMAP, and SMTP, AOL, and GMAIL email
AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and GTALK messaging
Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
3G
802.11b & 802.11g
UMTS (1,4), HSDPA, SUPL
1150mAh battery
5.6 oz weight
Sync capable with Google Calendar
Downloadable content via Android Marketplace
Google Streetview with built-in compass

[nycdiplomat]

ugh that thing is ugly....i hope they go with the prototype for the htc dream

[Nicholas Knight]

can't wait.

[owensdus]

and ur on this site because?

and how could they? who wants to carry around this piece


we want touch screen, large visual, and sleek design. this thing is a over sized blackberry

that isnt the phone it is coming out on..... look up the HTC DREAM. And google was working on an app store way before apple.

[nycdiplomat]

ugh that thing is ugly....i hope they go with the prototype for the htc dream

[bburdick]

that isnt the phone it is coming out on..... look up the HTC DREAM. And google was working on an app store way before apple.

lies

[Muggz5]

Well Im still waiting for an unlock for 3G to make the jump. Ive been reading about this new line of phones for a while. There are some advantages to them (look above a few posts someone listed the features), you will see in the upcoming months but overall I dont think these phones just have the same feel as Apple's and to go backwards to a blackberry (glorified as it is) at this point, would be disappointing. You cant replace the touch screen and maneuverability of apple's line. I like the thought of having a captive carrier tied to a phone (support mainly), so until TMo can somehow get the ability to sell the iphone i guess ill be JB & UL and chasing my tail ( & MMi) for life.

Here's the HTC Dream . It looks pretty sleek and Im sure the GPS is probably better than apple's but still I have to slide it, and tap number/letter keys. It looks outdated even though its not even mass circulated yet... Da*n these iPhones we're spoiled rotten.

[seanobx]

i just love how you do a search for images on Google and you come up with 6 different pictures, all referring this or that one as the new HTC Dream! Talk about speculation........

[Muggz5]

i just love how you do a search for images on Google and you come up with 6 different pictures, all referring this or that one as the new HTC Dream! Talk about speculation........

well sean look above that IS the HTC dream. Also the search engine is pulling up pics of other HTC phones, so its a bit confusing.

[nycdiplomat]

i thought this was the htc dream

http://androidcommunity.com/blog/wp-...n-demos-90.jpg

[Muggz5]

i thought this was the htc dream

http://androidcommunity.com/blog/wp-...n-demos-90.jpg

Heheh it looks like a prototype. Ive read about 5 articles and looked at numerous (spy reports) and theyve shown that phone about twice as a prototype but the one I posted I saw the majority of the time. I dont work for TMo but one of my clients does for one of their Corporate Hubs, Ill ask him see what he thinks...

[owensdus]

Here is a blurry video of it LoL. And the FCC layout.

[owensdus]

lies

Not lies just the truth.

[TheOrioles33]

As cool as Android sounds, I just cant see any phone being stable with that OS. I mean, everything and anything goes. Just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Apps crashing into each other, hackers having their way. I dont know. Theres a reason Apple has resrtictions on Apps in the App Store. I dont like all of them but they are there for a reason. You know what I mean?

[cartman13]

Frankly, i could give a sh!t less who was first with this idea, and that idea. blah blah blah.

I have an iphone. And hope android makes for a kick @$$ phone. I have my doubts on how well it'll work given they are not controlling the hardware and software, but the better it is, the more it will drive APPL to make their product better.

The last thing we need is another MSFT like product that doesn't have enough competition to keep it moving forward.

The 3G speeds they show in all their demo videos seem faster than my DSL. If TMO's buildout on the AWS spectrum is really that fast, i'd buy a android phone just for sh!ts and giggles!

[spoofdogg]

I'm curious, has anyone thought of adapting android to the iPhone?

Or is that way too much of a programmers nightmare?

It would be cool to have a way around Mr Jobs and his firm grip.

Either way competition just drives progress forward, creating a better product in the end for the consumer.

I hope it takes off well for those guy's.

[z3r01]

they just took the htc shadow and made the screen bigger , touch, moved the jog to one side and gave the phone a horrible sidekick like swivel screen....