Paid for apps for Android

According to a recent e-mail sent to Android developers by Eric Chu, Android Market plans to introduce paid for applications for Android, the open source operating system for mobile phones, in the first quarter of 2009 in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain.

Google is the main, or at least the most public player in the The Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies, and hosts the Android website. Chu is Google’s Mobile Platform Program Manager responsible for Android Market, Googles new publication and distribution site for Android developers. The international roll-out for Android Market is due to begin this month, January 2009, with the US and UK markets being the first to see paid for application support.

Early in 2008 Chu and Google were already talking about a massive 1,500+ free applications being available for Android so it will be interesting to see what effect the plans for paid for apps will have on the mix of applications Google will offer. Like Apple with iPhone apps, Google allows developers 70 per cent of an apps sale price.

(trk)