Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Android
    • Android
    • Development
    • IT Management
    • Mobile
    • Servers

    Google Android Market Client Set for Overhaul

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    December 12, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Google said it will improve its maligned Android Market application store this month, making it easier for consumers to find, purchase and download developers’ apps.

      Android Market sports well over 100,000 applications, one third that of Apple’s App Store. Yet to many users, Android Market feels leagues behind the App Store in quality and user experience.

      Android handset owners and the programmers who create apps for them have been frustrated by a number of issues, ranging from the difficulty in finding legitimate apps amid a slew of copyright-infringing programs to paying for them.

      Considering that Google is seeing 300,000 Android phones switched on each day, and that users are using their handsets to consume apps, improvements are imperative.

      To alleviate some of the app-searching pains, the new Android Market client will include a new carousel view on the home and category screens, said Android Developer Ecosystem advocate Eric Chu in a blog post Dec. 10.

      This carousel will allow users to easily scroll through promoted applications and click through to download and, where warranted, pay for the app they want.

      Also, applications that include widgets and wallpapers will be automatically added to their own categories. Google will also be adding more categories for popular apps and games. Moreover, the app details page will include related content.

      To address the challenge of discovering and paying for apps, Google has streamlined the experience so that users can learn everything about an app on one page.

      This new experience will also include content ratings. Applications will be categorized according to All, Pre-teen, Teen and Mature.

      Google is helping developers in a big way, too, by paring the return limit for applications from 24 hours to 15 minutes. This should keep people from purchasing apps, then returning them within a day.

      Google is also bringing device targeting based on screen sizes, densities and GL texture compression formats.

      Finally, Google is increasing the maximum size for .apk files on Market to 50MB with an eye toward improving support for gaming apps. This will take on greater importance with Android 2.3, for which Google has added a gyroscope and better graphics for games.

      Improving the Android Market client, which will support Android 1.6 devices and later, is the latest of several steps Google is taking to improve the user experience for its app store. Most of these moves have involved app payment.

      For example, Google in July created a free licensing service to protect paid applications in the Market from unauthorized use.

      The company has added paid app and billing support and several more countries and is working on allowing consumers to have apps they purchase billed directly to their wireless carrier bills.

      Clint Boulton

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×