Android News
General Mobile to release its own app store with new phone
December 22, 2009 | by Andrew Kameka
Android Apps
It seems like every couple of months, I’m hearing about another Android store seeking to be an alternative to the Android Market. I learned about SlideMe several months ago, followed by the AndAppStore, Handango, Mikandi, and then the upcoming shops from Motorola and Sony. Do we really need another app Market for Android?
Yes, according to General Mobile, makers of the first dual SIM Android phone (DSTL1). General Mobile just sent me a message that they are working on a sequel to the DSTL1 that will include their own app market – Storeoid. Naturally, I had to ask why they felt the need to create yet another market alternative and received the following response:
1. Google Market is not available in many countries because of the Google restrictions ( eg. many European countries)
2. We produce some specific products. For example our DSTL1 device has a dual SIM support, and it needs some special applications.
3. Some applications will be localized from country to country
4. There is no content filtering in Google Market but we have [it in Storeoid]
5. The Google Android Market search bar does not work very well, but our search bar will work better than the actual one
Here’s a gallery of what Storeoid will look like. Keep in mind that General Mobile does not say all of these apps will appear in the market.
This is getting stupid. I am all for developers having many opportunities to distribute their apps, but ANOTHER store, come on. There are already too many app stores out there. Carriers and hardware manufactures should work with Google to have custom sections added to the Market that already exists (think similar to the Rockstar Store on Sony's Playstation Store). This just further fragments Android (different than version fragmentation) and, in my opinion, will make Android less of a threat in the smart phone market. I could be wrong, maybe multiple stores offering similar and different apps won't confuse and upset customers who expect to have access to similar apps as anyone else on an Android powered device. My recent post Cat slaps dog while riding Roomba… yep.
This is getting stupid. I am all for developers having many opportunities to distribute their apps, but ANOTHER store, come on. There are already too many app stores out there. Carriers and hardware manufactures should work with Google to have custom sections added to the Market that already exists (think similar to the Rockstar Store on Sony's Playstation Store). This just further fragments Android (different than version fragmentation) and, in my opinion, will make Android less of a threat in the smart phone market. I could be wrong, maybe multiple stores offering similar and different apps won't confuse and upset customers who expect to have access to similar apps as anyone else on an Android powered device. My recent post Cat slaps dog while riding Roomba… yep.
I do like some of the additions that are added above such as showing the number of actual downloads. I am not sure if the Android Market is the same on every version of Android but in either case I do feel it is in need of a lot of improvement. Having used the App Store on Apple and also Cydia you can see so much that is missing from the Android Market. There needs to be a better filter and the organization is a joke. Finding apps can be such a chore that I rarely even use the Android Market unless I find a QR code for the app I want. Android could be such a competitor if it would just take a step back and realize that it needs uniformity. Too many manufactures and carriers are supporting too many versions of Android. With each new release the previous version should be scrubbed. Give the carriers sufficient time to update to the new version and if they don't then just cut off access to the Android Market to that version. How many customers are going to put up with that when the Android Market is the primary source of apps. There needs to be change and Google needs to step up and make it happen.
Hey guys come on, Google Market is not available in many countries because of the Google restrictions ( eg. many European countries) and I don’t live in US and I can’t use Google Market, so thanks General Mobile’s endeavor javascript:%20postComment(0);