Google to Emphasize Paid Applications in New Version of Android Market

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Google to Emphasize Paid Applications in New Version of Android Market

7:15 pm on September 6, 2009 | Category: Business, Web Services, Cell Phones, Software

Google is working on a new version of its Android Market software store, and is hoping to attract more developers by placing a greater emphasis on paid applications.

The Android Market, which provides software for Android-based smartphones, currently features some 8,000 applications and generated an estimated $5 million in revenue last month. This pales in comparison to Apple’s competing App Store, however, which offers more than 65,000 applications and pulled in an estimated $200 million in August.

Google is hoping to make its marketplace more competitive by allowing developers to upload screenshots, promotional icons, and detailed descriptions, in order to market their products to potential buyers. The new Android Market will also feature one-click access to the top free and paid applications, as well as four new software subcategories: sports, health, themes, and comics.

Google did not offer any details about when the new Android Market (version 1.6) would be available.