Buy more Android apps…please
This is my call to arms for all Android users…buy more apps and talk about them, show them to your friends family and co-workers, blog about them, tweet about them, post pictures, let’s talk this shit up! Everyone is comparing Android to the iPhone or Palm…you’re wasting your time, let’s spend those valuable keystrokes talking about how awesome the apps are on Android market and not trying to make comparisons to other platforms. The more marketing buzz we can create about Android apps and how hard the single developers or small dev shops are working to create these products the better it is for all of us. Not only do I want my apps to be successful but I’d love to hear about Phil Symonds making a million bucks on Abduction or how the college students who developed Heat paid their way through college developing Android apps.
So, show some love, and make sure to spend the buck or two for the app which that guy or gal spent many’a hours creating and testing…and let others know also. I hope all this doesn’t sound to much like self promotion, but I really believe that it behooves all of us to have a vibrant and profitable Android app market.
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:41 am
Sorry, only free apps are available in my country. I think that is the biggest blocker for earning money on Android apps.
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:29 am
I would really love to, but the Android market is still not open for purchasing apps in Norway, which quite frankly is ridiculous. Google, I hope you’re hearing this.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 am
Same problem in Switzerland, only free app are available…
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
I also wonder when Google will be bringing the other markets online. The follow countries are available for paid-for-apps, Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. I’ve heard that Google may allow carriers to charge directly for apps, I wonder if they are going to use this plan to bring paid-for-apps into the other markets? Hopefully more countries will be added soon!
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
Heat is exactly the kind of game I don’t envy from the iPhone, noveltycrap!
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 am
Hey Roy,
I agree that Heat isn’t much more then an entertainment app, but I like it. Also, if you’ve ever had the experience of trying to keep a 4 year old busy while you’re waiting for a meal at a restaurant an app like Heat is priceless if it keeps the child engaged!
But I certainly agree that there are a huge number of novelty and “play that sound” apps that crowd both the Android and iPhone market. Makes getting noticed all that more challenging!
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:28 am
Many subscribers are complaining they can not buy paid apps from Android Market since paid apps are not supported in most countries. There is slideme.org as an alternative. I found speedforge 3d on slideme since the developers can not upload to Android Market since Google also restricts them too. I think Google is too simply too big to get approval for their google checkout per country and compete with the local payment processors.
What we all need to do, is find an app we want maybe from cyrket.com thats a reflection of what is on Android Market and ask developer to upload to slideme. Problem solved.
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I think the problem is partly size of the market, partly the media, and partly the “compelling apps factor.” The first is self-explanatory - there just aren’t as many android users out there as there are iPhone or Blackberry users. The second: the media loves Apple, because people like Apple. I’ll leave my opinions on that out of this comment.
The third is the big one: what compelling applications have you written that deserve the attention or money of a significant portion of the Android (or any) market? Your applications aren’t going to be successful until you’ve created something that Android users want - that “killer app” that *significantly* enhances the experience of owning an Andorid device. There is no bridge between writing a small Android application and immediately getting noticed or making a steady stream of income.
People pay for what they find useful. Write something useful, and its popularity will grow virally. Only then will everything else fall into place.
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Mouse,
I couldn’t agree more…with most of your statement. The Android handset market is certainly smaller, Apple spends A LOT of money on marketing apps for the iPhone and a totally unique and useful app certainly grows virally on it’s own.
I do think the last part has to do a lot with luck and the amount of time and resources put into app development. Unfortunately I lack both…so I have to do the best I can on my own with the limited time I have for app development…and cheer for joy each time I get a new user. This subject could take up another post or series of posts…and I don’t want it to sound like I’m whining, but developing a app, no matter how small takes a lot of effort, esp when it’s not your full time gig. And then it takes much more effort just to be noticed amongst the flood of other apps.
So what I’m calling for from the community is simply to really consider the apps you check out; and if you find them useful or cool or unique be willing to pay the developer back for his or her efforts and spread the word if you have the resources. This post is really just an intro for me doing the same…
October 14th, 2009 at 9:47 am
[…] been meaning to get a post out about the Android apps I’ve purchased since I first asked people to buy more Android apps. I put out a couple emails to companies and developers who’ve built apps for the Android […]
October 15th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Yeah, Buy More Apps!!!!