Android on Asus Netbooks

Here is a great story from Information Week on the rise of Android on Netbooks.

Ovi store: the Nokia apps store cum a social networking site

As I have reviewed here, finally Nokia announced its own apps store, namely the Ovi store, in the Barcelona MWC'09 today. Different with other apps store, the Ovi store is not just an apps store where users can download apps, but also a social networking site where users can interact with their friends. The store will give suggestion for some relevant apps to download to users based on download history and friends activities. 

Developers can start upload and sell the apps to the Ovi store by next month, and then the users can start to buy the apps by May 2009. Similar to other, developer will get 70% of the revenue, while the rest is not yet clear where will go. Lets see what Nokia will decide on it as to whether will follow the iPhone Apps Store, or will follow the Android Market. 

The 2nd Android phone finally released: The HTC Magic by Vodafone UK

I just read about the release of the second Android-based phone from Vodafone UK, namely the HTC Magic, which is just announced in the Barcelona's Mobile World Congress today. The main difference with the first version, the HTC Dream by T1 Mobile USA, is there is no physical keyboard, which is replaced by a virtual keyboard. The camera pixel is also enhanced to 3.2 mega pixel. However, currently it is released majorly in Europe, but other places will follow as reported. 

Subscription-based pricing apps in Handango Android market !?

I was surprised when finding this about the first unofficial Android market by Handango, who is already there online since October 2008 offering free and paid apps, even offering monthly/quarterly/yearly subsription-based pricing apps! It is very late to find about this though. 

I was then looking for some others references talking about this, some news reported #1 #2 

From those sources, however, Handango tends to rips off the user as well as the developers. Handango takes about 50% of the revenue, 25% to developers, another 25% either to developer or third business parter of Handango (if the apps are downloaded from such third party website. 

One thing that I am still curious is how Google reacted to such unofficial Android market. However I have not found any source talks about it in the internet. Google could lose some potential  revenues due to the competition from Handango. On another hand, I am also thinking maybe for a short term Google wants to see and use it as a marketing tool for the Android, until sometime when the official Android Market with paid and perhaps subscription-based pricing shows up how it goes.

The Mobile Apps Store Wars!

I tried to summarize on the online mobile app store as follow.

Initiated by the Apple's iTunes App Store as a centralized online store of the iPhone/iPod application that bridge the developers and users, such model are followed by others that heating up the online mobile apps business arena. Up to now, here are the list of mobile apps store available:

1. The Apple's App Store: The apps are available either as paid or free apps, none as what is known as free trial apps. Apple will check all apps submitted by developers before those apps can be listed on the App Store. Developer will get 70% of each sold app, while Apple will take the remaining. According to business week news, by last Jan 16, there are about 15,000 apps avalable at the App Store and that have been downloaded a total of 500 million. The news told an interesting fact (?) that 17 millions iPhone users have downloaded as much apps as the 1.6 billion non-iPhone users have done. Apple used this claimed fact to tell all apps developers that it is much more worth to develop just a single app for iPhone rather than to develop apps for others. I would say that this is true for the golden-age of iPhone, i.e. before the coming of Android, or others with their correspoding apps store. 

2. The Android Market: Although currently there are about 1000 apps available in the store,  many believes that the number will jump staggeringly after the paid apps comes within Q1 2009, which probably within next week. Different with the Apple's App Store, Google allows developers to upload their apps to the Market without initial checking-up as Apple does. This will encourage developers to upload their apps with lesser restriction. Similar to App Store that developers will gain 70% of the revenue, but in this case Google will not take any cent.  The remaining 30% is instead used for the billing (operator) and transaction fee. 

3. The Windows App Store: Windows does not has its own online store so far, but they are planning to launch, probably within next week where the Barcelona GSMA Mobile Conference will be held. However, this website claimed as the "App Store" for Windows mobile apps. There are around 2500 apps available in the store available to around 950 mobile devices. The website is based on PocketGear.com, a leading windows app seller. Developers will obtain 60% of the sold app, while 40% goes to the store as stated here.

Anyway, I just curious whether they think another name other than "App Store". 

4. The Palm Software Store: Similar to Windows, this website is claimed as the Software Store for Palm apps. There are 5000+ apps available for 95 Palm-based devices. The pricing structure is also follow 60%/40% as in the Windows App Store above.

5. Samsung Application Store: This is a beta version of Samsung's own apps store, although it's also based on Pocket Gear but with a Samsung official website. As of now, there is no information about how is the pricing structure. However, since it is still under Pocket Gear.com, I think it follows the same 60%/40% scheme as above.

6. RIM Application Storefront: RIM is planning to come up with its own Blackberry app store, called the Storefront by March 2009. Interestingly, RIM will give away 80% of each sold app revenue to the developers, while it will retain the 20% rest. This is a compelling valu to the developers by RIM, compared to others. Although Blackberry is more known as an enterprise smartphone so far, I think it is also trying to reach the consumers market by having this Storefront.

7. Nokie is also going to combat with its online app store within next week as reported, probably during the Barcelone Mobile Conferenc timeframe. Lets just see.

Subscription-based Apps on the Android Market?

I found some discussion among developers in the Android Market Support Forum as follow. However, no formal reply from Google yet.

Subscription-oriented services seem to be a violation of the Market TOS

App with option subscription based services

Subscription based service - how to ? (an online game apps)

After reading the term and condition of pricing and payment of the Android Market, we could somehow analyze that only through the Market the money can flow. Still, we need clarification from Google directly. I will closely monitor those discussion update.

Anyway, I think we don't need to register as a member since the Android market Support Forum are available online. 

Mobile Internet Statistics

This site has a list of different sources that provide statistics on mobile internet, usage etc they even have Mobile analytics something like Google Analytics for websites.

The G1 HTC phone arrived at Australia, and soon Singapore...

When I opened this link, I wish I was still at Singapore to try it out! :( 

Anyway, waiting for its arrival in Japan soon too! :)

Motorola and Android

Motorola is making a big push with Android.

Another Android phone from Dell!

This is another news of upcoming Android-based smart phone, the first ever Dell's smart-phone! It is expected to be released by the coming GSMA Mobile World Congress mid of this year. 

Fujitsu offers full Android services in Japan

This is a great news for Android development in Japan!

Fujitsu just launched "Services built for Android", a complete package of consulting, training, development, and engineering of Android platform for mobile phone, PC, cars, etc.