Android Market open for business, revenue details emerge
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 22nd 2008 12:54PM
posted Oct 22nd 2008 12:54PM
Being that the T-Mobile G1 launched officially today in the US of A, it makes sense that the phone's marketplace for applications would open its doors as well. A recent post over at the Android Developers Blog has affirmed that users can now indulge in over 50 apps, and moreover, it has laid out details surrounding the process for getting your own app in there. Beginning on Monday, prospective devs will be forced to "register and pay a one time $25 application fee" in order to ensure that they're "authenticated and responsible for their apps." After that, the programs will be "made available to users without further validation or approval." Starting in Q1, developers will be able to distribute paid apps in addition to free apps, and similar to Apple's revenue model, devs will get 70% of the revenue, though it should be noted that Google won't be taking a percentage of the remainder; apparently, it all goes to settling bills with the carriers (T-Mobile's really insistent about getting some dues for app bandwidth usage, isn't it?) and payment processing systems. Go at it, you eager developer you -- we fully expect a gratis app showing off your handiwork to emerge on the 27th.
Hm... I wonder if Symbian was just way too far ahead of its time to benefit from the same revenue structures that devs for Apple and now Android now enjoy...
I just toyed around with on at the TMob store. I must say it was a well built phone and seemed light in the hand. Chrome rendered fast and clean. Super responsive. I would have to say that this really puts a squeeze iPhone because of the new iTunes emulator app that was developed.
Also because SanDisk is making a 128gig SD card. That will blow the memory doors off of Apple.
So I decided that this is the phone to buy and the data plan is cheaper than what i have now.
Nice job HTC, TMob and Google!
Hey, haX0r,
I think you've mixed up your Flash technologies. SanDisk might have a 128GB SSD drive, but that's likely in a 2.5" HD formfactor. SanDisk *just* released a 16GB microSDHC, the format the used in the G1, and they've announced a 128GB version is in the works for release in 2011, but now that they've sold a 30% of their flash fab capacity back to Toshiba I'm betting that will slip. The iPhone will likely stay at or ahead of the microSDHC curve for another couple of years, if only because they can fit more flash chips onto the iPhone mobo.