Google’s Android has been lauded because of its free and open approach to apps, and might be a shining example of software free will – but this doesn’t mean Google are happy with the service, stating that they are disappointed with the number of premium apps they actually sell.
Google is looking to make a number of changes to the Android Market, in a hope to increase the amount of applications that are purchased, these will adding an in app payment system, similar to the one Apple uses for its iOS apps.
Google will also be looking to make it easier for users to discover new applications, once again similar to the way Apple does it, and Google will also be removing applications from the Android Market which break their terms of service.
We wonder if they’ll also be looking for free apps that quite capably provide the functionality of premium ones. Those, it seems, are the greatest threat to the paid apps — and perhaps the greatest asset of the Market itself.