The people at Google have updated their Android app market to support smartphones. It is not going to bypass iTunes anytime soon, but it is a welcome improvement.
Google is taking a cue from Apple and redesigning their online market for Android apps. The change has been a long time coming. People have complained that it is hard to find what you need in the Android app store, even if most of it is free. The disorganization has been a nightmare. Now there are new categories, similar to what you see in Apple iTunes, with showcases for popular apps and games. The user interface is improved as well, taking tips from the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 tiled setup.
Google used a tiling sequence to make it easier to swipe through their store while on a smartphone. If an app is selected, the price and name of it is raised to the top of the smartphone screen. The ability to purchase books and movies is also included now. If a book is bought, it will not necessarily need to be downloaded. The books become linked to the Google account and all devices that connect to that account will have access to the book. This setup is going to work best for those who have Android 2.2 Froyo version and higher.
Navigation is improved for the Android market. Finding movies, apps, books and games is now easier than before. An “Editor’s Choice” section that helps searchers find new apps. Once a searcher finds what they want, there is a good chance that it will be free. Statistics say that over 60 percent of Android apps are complimentary. The bad news is that malware has also risen 400 percent in the Android platform. Being careful is always good advice when downloading a new program to any computer.
For now, there are 200,000 app choices to make with the new update. The same people who fill up the Android market, the developers, will also find it easier to navigate around. The change will help them to make more money, using less time to do the same research as before. Many developers make it over to the Android market after they make an app for iOS, the Apple mobile operating system. One of the leading Android constituents, Rich Miner, claims that this sequence will change. He claims that Android will be the first stop for developers and Apple will become second. The 38 percent slice of smartphone marketshare that Android has may prove him right.
August 24, 2012 at 1:39 am
love them. We love them. And this one’s a blinder. ‘The App Option: Does Your Business Need One?’ ditssces the App Market from the market share of the key players through to the big question: