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Handango Opening Parallel Android Marketplace For Paid Apps
Posted by John Herrman at 7:40 PM on October 2, 2008
Despite the "free" and "open" buzzwords bandied about during the G1 launch, app developers stand to make a good deal of money the platform — that is, when the Android Marketplace lets them. Google should work out a payment system soon, but until then Handango, who already sells apps for virtually every other mobile platform, is planning on running their own little marketplace, complete with actual monies. Though the official Android store will only launch with free apps, unlike the iPhone the G1 (or any Android phone) has no restriction on sideloading apps, so alternative sources are essentially kosher.
Handango claims that they'll have about 100 for-pay apps ready for the G1's October 22nd launch, and that they'll support one-off, monthly and annual billing options. Despite all the fanfare, they haven't announced any of the apps that we'll apparently be so excited to pay for, and I'd imagine most developers will just wait until Google implements their own payment system. But hey, the markets, or something.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
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MrBlahBlah
Posted 8:08 PM 2/10/08
sounds like it will be kind of a mess when google releases its own paid-app system. people won't really know which system to use to get each app their hear about, etc.
but yeah the market will work it out, as we have seen recently with our current economic situation
MrBlahBlah
Stacky Botrus
Posted 8:24 PM 2/10/08
@MrBlahBlah:
"but yeah"... shut up.
Multiple stores is just what everyone needs and wants. Those with a lousy iphone without cut and paste already know this. Thank you Cydia and Installer.
Stacky Botrus
ghmlco
Posted 9:05 PM 2/10/08
"Handango takes a huge chunk of the sales price compared to other online sources."
Yeah, kind of makes Apple's 30% seem downright reasonable.
With no built-in protection system, it will also be interesting to see what kind of pricing structures they come up with. Assuming, of course, that a paid market for Andriod apps actually exists.
My bet is that all of the file "sharing" types simply rip off everything in sight...
ghmlco
benjitek
Posted 8:52 PM 2/10/08
Shouldn't be long before the developers who haven't dealt with Handango before discover they're not going to be their best friend ;) Handango takes a huge chunk of the sales price compared to other online sources. From a developers perspective, Mobihand seems to be the preferred place to sell their wares. Handango nickle & dimes both the seller and buyer, with an additional fee if you want to re-download your purchase in the future.
I'm thinking the official Android Marketplace is going to be worth the wait...
benjitek
MrBlahBlah
Posted 10:55 PM 2/10/08
@Stacky Botrus: maybe thats what you and me what, but the majoity of the population who isn't part of the all-knowledgebale giz reader base, doesn't want that. but i guess this phone isn't for them. so that leaves like 1% of the population. for now at least.
MrBlahBlah
nickexperience
Posted 12:02 AM 3/10/08
@MrBlahBlah: Well, most people will probably just hit the Marketplace button on their phone and be taken to the official store. Don't really foresee much confusion with that.
nickexperience
LauPan
Posted 2:28 AM 3/10/08
Soooo much for OS, we will get nickeld and dimed to death with these "OS" providers distributing stuff that should have been part of the package or should be provided as a free download.
If they take this approach they should provide the phone free and let us download apps and Ops systems that we choose.
We thought we could expect more from T-Mobile and HTC. We wait for a new product they keep coming out with more junk like the sidekick revamped for the 80th time and other useless Moto products.
LauPan
stopcrazypp
Posted 2:58 AM 3/10/08
@LauPan:
If you can get it for the $179 price, the phone isn't that bad for what you get, even with Google leaving a lot for the 3rd party. And they do have stuff avaliable for free download (essentially all of the apps initially in the market will be free), like the video player.
I know stuff like the bluetooth, video playback, video recording, Google is working on.
Probably the thing to worry about is desktop sync. But at least it has usb mass storage for now.
stopcrazypp
HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak
Posted 3:20 AM 3/10/08
@MrBlahBlah: And I guess life will get so much simpler when Wal-Mart finally drives all those other grocery, electronics, and discount stores out of business too, right?
I'll take the added complexity in the name of a genuine competitive atmosphere, thank you very much.
HeartBurnKid, creepy morbid freak
AdamEteocles
Posted 9:12 PM 2/10/08
Handango takes 50% commission. If the product has been sold through their partners, threre is another 50% commission so you get only 25%. They rips off their customers as well. They charge 3 - 5 USD for the so called 'download protection' in case you want to download the purchased products later.
AdamEteocles