Apple appears to be changing up the criteria for how apps are ranked in the App Store, and seems to be blocking content that tries to “game” or artificially alter rankings. The changes will make the App Store a better place, especially for shoppers. Read more »
Google has worked out carrier billing with Sprint, which should be rolling out in the next few days to all Sprint customers using Android devices. That could help boost software sales in the Android Market, as consumers prefer carrier billing to other methods. Read more »
Not long after I wrote about the need for more engagement numbers from app makers, Google has apparently gone ahead and started factoring in daily active user statistics for apps in its Android Market rankings according to one app publisher. Read more »
Mobile malware has become a very real threat thanks largely to Google’s lack of oversight in Android Market. The company’s refusal to play app cop will increasingly take a toll on its app distribution business — and maybe on Android as a whole. Read more »
In-app purchases represent a huge opportunity for developers to generate revenues and for consumers to enhance the user experience. But the market will only reach its potential if it can avoid the public relation problems that plagued the ringtone market a few years ago. Read more »
Getting paid on Android has been a touchy subject for developers, who have had trouble turning their apps into big money makers. But now Google has rolled out a new web store for Android Market and in-app purchases for apps that developers are hoping will kick-start revenues. Read more »
Independent, off-deck, app stores will become the major driver of mobile app downloads by 2015, eclipsing on-deck app store. That’s the word from a new report from research firm MarketsandMarkets, which forecast the growth of the mobile app market. Read more »
Amazon last week launched a developer program in advance of its opening of a store for Android apps. The move underscores the opportunities for third parties looking to distribute apps to users of Google’s mobile operating system. But first they must meet a few key challenges. Read more »
Once an isolated world dominated by network operators and their manufacturer partners, mobile is now a space where “outsiders” are some of the most powerful players. In 2010, companies like Google, Apple, MetroPCS, Huawei and Foursquare were among those who made the most impact in mobile ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The always-unpredictable mobile space enters 2011 at a particularly dynamic time. Carriers are now bringing 4G networks online, even as their definitions of “4G” vary. Meanwhile, mobile data consumption is exploding and the FCC trying to settle on policies both to regulate the industry and to ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With the release of Chrome OS Web Store this week, I started thinking: Where is that online browser-based Android Market Google promised? In May, Google VP Vic Gundotra took the stage at Google I/O and gave a “sneak peak” of Android Market accessible through a browser. Read more »
Android Market eclipsed the 100,000 app milestone today, according to a tweet from the Android Developer Twitter account. This puts Android Market on a solid pace though still trailing Apple’s App Store by a wide margin. Read more »
Users of Google Android phones may soon be able to use PayPal to purchase mobile applications, making it easier to add software to Android handsets. Would such a purchase mechanism be solely limited to Android software or might we see Google start hawking music and books? Read more »
Android has become popular with app developers, and with the Android Market now supporting paid apps in a dozen new countries it may become the platform of choice. Previously Google has restricted the countries where apps could be sold and customers were denied them. Read more »
Google’s new App Inventor could create a wave of new apps to serve as vehicles for mobile advertisements. But with Android Market already developing a Wal-Mart-like reputation, the do-it-yourself developer kit needs to produce apps people really use — and ones advertisers will really pay for. Read more »
Google’s new App Inventor could create a wave of new apps to serve as vehicles for mobile advertisements. But with Android Market already developing a Wal-Mart-like reputation, the new do-it-yourself developer kit needs to produce apps people really use — and ones advertisers will really pay ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Apple’s often-confusing approval policies for its App Store have been criticized in the past, and have also lead to a marketplace littered with sub-par, sometimes fraudulent offerings. With Android Market now gaining momentum, it’s time for the folks in Cupertino to throw out the trash and ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
While Nokia is the undisputed king of feature phones, it doesn’t take a fortune teller to read the handwriting on the wall — smartphones will eventually replace feature phones. A shortcut to success for the company would be to stop fighting the same old battle and ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
It’s time to clean up the Android Market before the poor experience and questionable apps get out of hand. There are already 65,000 apps to be found there, so the time is right for Google to follow these simple steps and neaten the store. Read more »
Many laud Google’s Android Market and its loose barriers to application entry, but that doesn’t mean Google should be totally hands off, does it? Some updated applications are disappearing from the Market on certain devices and it’s taking days for Google to even acknowledge the issue. Read more »
