Google unhappy with slow Android app sales

According to reports online, the platform manager of Android, Eric Chu has stated that Google are unhappy with how slow the Android Market app sales are moving. Apps haven’t exactly been flying off the market, and with iOS recently hitting their 10 billionth app download, Google definitely feels the pinch. However, Google isn’t going to give up the fight just yet, apparently they have some plans to make things better. But all their plans to improve the Market issue won’t help if other issues remain pertinent.

One of the main problems developers have been facing developing apps for Android is the whole fragmentation issue. There are so many different Android phones, running on different versions of Android, at different screen resolutions, it’s practically impossible to test an app on every single Android phone available. This is where the iOS outshines Android – developers only need to test their apps with a small range of devices to know if everything works. This is a problem that needs to be resolved soon. Perhaps a version of Android that will bring all the devices together in the future?

The Android Market is full of rubbish apps and ‘apps’ that aren’t even real ‘apps’ at all (ringtones and wallpapers). And there have even been cases of malware being distributed on the Android Market, all thanks to Google’s “open store” concept.  Sure it was a great idea- any developer could get an app to the masses out there but any developer means that even those with malicious intent could do the same. Apple has its fair share of “crap apps” as well, but at least the apps don’t ruin your device after you install them. Android needs some sort of way to filter apps, but it goes against their own “open” mantra, so it’s undecided how they’ll handle this. Maybe a new, separate Android Market that is monitored and requires apps to be approved before they can go on sale might do the trick.

Once the quality of apps go up, and they work on all Android phones, Google can then start worrying about upgrading the Android Market experience. Because no matter how good an app store is, it won’t be able to save itself if the apps up for sale/download are of little to no quality. What do you think Google could do to make the Android Market and the Android apps better?

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones, General
Tags: Android, Apps, Google, problems, sales