At company headquarters here this morning, Google unveiled its Android Market web store, a web portal that lets users browse and purchase apps from the Android Market without requiring a smartphone. Google announced the new web site in an on-campus event showcasing the new Android version 3.0, aka Honeycomb, which is yet to be released.
Previously only accessible by using an Android smartphone, you can now access the Android Market site through a web browser on other devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, netbooks or — as we saw today on the Honeycomb-fueled Motorola Xoom — tablet. After accessing the site and signing in to your Google account, you can search the 200,000-plus apps featured on the official Android Market, and make app purchases on your browser. After purchasing, apps will install directly to the specified smartphone device of your choosing via Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity.
In other words, you still need an Android device to run the apps, but you can “push” them to your device, using a browser. Google also announced improved payment options as a supplement to the web-store launch. Credit card numbers and other personal payment information is stored in your individual Google account. After choosing an app, you can make a payment using a one-click purchase system.
Google is also giving developers more control on the backend. In the developer console, Android app developers will now be able to set the price of an app in different currencies specifically supported by the Android Market. So what may cost an American user $5, a developer can also specify the cost of the app to a European user paying with the euro.
Finally, in-app payments will soon be coming to the Android Market, letting users purchase things like virtual currency, additional levels or in-game consumables without leaving the app environment. The developer documentation for in-app payments is being released today. Google expects in-app payments to be available to Android users before the end of spring.
It’s a long overdue move by Google, as Apple has had app-store-directory access available to customers by browser since 2007. And Android Market users have complained about payment systems. Apple’s app store contains 400,000-plus applications, over twice that of Android’s.
“I think Android has a history of performing well despite having a late start,” user interface director Matias Duarte told Wired.com in an interview. “We’re pretty excited about it.” Although Google showed all the new Android Market developments on its new new Honeycomb Android update, the company gave no details as to when the update will be launched.
