Google officially launches online software platform Android Market

To coincide with the launch of the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, Google officially released Android Market yesterday. This software platform currently only has 50 applications. However, if next week Google opens Android Market to all software developers, the number of applications in Android Market will certainly increase significantly. That being said, it's uncertain, as Google has not yet officially announced when it will open Android Market to all software developers.

Since all software in Android Market is currently offered for free, large-scale games and high-quality excellent software may only appear on Android Market after Google allows developers to charge them, which is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2009.

Google stated that it would not regulate the software applications within iTunes App Store as strictly as Apple does, which is also the intention behind naming Android Market as a "Market."

Software developers only need to register and pay a one-time application fee of $25, after which they can sell their software on Android Market and receive 70% of the profits from each transaction, similar to Apple's sales model. The difference is that the remaining profit from transactions will belong to the carrier rather than Google.

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