05/30/2008, 11:45am, EDT
Friday, May 30thAndroid to get iPhone-style app store
Phones running Google's Android operating system may have a dedicated app store, team lead Andy Rubin has mentioned at the company's I/O Conference. The official doesn't directly claim the existence of the option but says that it would be a "great benefit" for Android users to have a controlled marketplace for downloading apps, as the service would provide a trusted location as well as a place where developers could guarantee exposure for their software.
"We wouldn’t have done our job if we didn’t provide something that helps developers get distribution," Rubin says.
The latest Android build, demonstrated at the conference, reveals a previously unseen Market icon that would take owners to the store. Neither Rubin nor others have shown the service in action or provided additional details.
The addition would make Google one of the few phone operating system creators to offer its own app store and would primarily be challenged by the App Store currently in development for the second-generation iPhone firmware, which follows the same policy. However, unlike Apple's closed solution, Google's free and open-source development platform will theoretically allow developers to write and offer programs for any Android phone without requiring explicit approval as well as royalties associated with paid apps.
The first Android phones are planned to launch in late 2008 and may start with the HTC Dream, a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard combination device.
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when?
When will we see someone think a really original idea?
Doesn't this mean...
That Google is going after Apple in a very directly competitive way here.
You have to imagine this relationship is getting very strained, whatever PR words are put upon it?
Not quite as nice as ...
AppStore.
"...Google's free and open-source development platform will theoretically allow developers to write and offer programs for any Android phone..."
Well, out of context, this statement is too good to be true. If I understand correctly, developers will have to target (compile for) each phone (or family of phones) separately. This means a particular app won't be universally available to all phones -- just a subset of phones. This isn't a show-stopper of course -- but the experience won't be quite as seamless as AppStore.
Eric Schmidt
While Apple and Google can continue to work together (and even partner) on projects, it is becoming increasingly clear that Eric Schmidt needs to resign his Apple BOD position to avoid potential conflicts of interests.
Boot Camp For iPhone
Apple could develop a "Boot Camp" for the iPhone as it has done with their Mac computers. That would negate many from even considering another smart phone vendor. Imagine being able to dual boot your iPhone to either Mac OS X or Android.