Android Market, Unleashed
Here we are a little over a week since the launch of the first Android-powered phone, the G1. As of Monday, Android Market has been open to developers to distribute their applications as they wish. We've made some more observations on how the Android Market is evolving …
Context & Ripple Effects
The G1’s launch gave Android its first handset, while Google had already open-sourced Android ahead of that launch. Opening Android Market to developers adds the missing distribution path for software built for the new platform.
The immediate challenge is discoverability and channel choice: coverage a week earlier identified three potential places to obtain Android apps, making a developer-facing Market meaningful as a clearer route to G1 users.
First-order effects
- Android developers can distribute applications through Android Market, gaining a direct channel to owners of the G1.
- G1 users gain a designated source for Android software alongside the other app-shopping options already identified.
Second-order effects
- Alternative Android app storefronts must differentiate against an official developer distribution channel rather than simply filling an early gap.
- Google’s preloaded applications and services on the G1 sit alongside a growing third-party software layer, increasing the handset’s value as a platform rather than a fixed bundle.
Third-order effects
- If developers and users converge on Android Market, Android’s open-source operating system can pair with a more centralized software-distribution layer.
- The early coexistence of several storefronts points to a platform-governance question: the leading channel will shape how developers reach Android users.
The trend: Android is moving from a handset launch toward a platform model in which open software attracts developers and an app marketplace connects them to users.