Looks like Google is now preventing anyone with an unlocked G1 from downloading for-pay applications from the Android Market. Google says this is to prevent piracy (but only in the most abstract sense, in my [worthless] opinion), but some developers don’t like the idea. Welcome to the Situation Room, I’m Wolf Blitzer.
Google just implemented this ban a few days ago. In the company’s world, it was done to prevent someone from using an unlocked phone from buying a for-pay application, returning it (Google allows full refund returns within 24 hours of downloading), then re-downloading it for free. This Minority Report scenario can happen because unlocked phones give the user access to all the phone’s directories, including the “special,” usually off-limits directory where for-pay applications are stored.
This is where Android developers enter the picture. Google lets the devs buy unlocked phones as part of their development kit. These developers, however, should they only own the unlocked phone, can now no longer purchase their own for-pay application from the Android Market! It’s insanity! One developer is so mad he’s starting to sound like that crazy CNBC guy from the other day, suggesting a “revolt” of some sort:
It would be the only way to show Google that this is NOT acceptable, and that devs are not second (third?) class citizens on the Market. I do not know about you, but I am beyond angry that I can not even see my own paid app on the Market with my 400 dollar dev phone!
Seems to me the easiest way to avoid upsetting the very developers who make Android Market hum is to eliminate the new rule preventing them from downloading for-pay apps. How many people are going to go through the trouble of buying an unlocked phone just so they can get free apps? And if these people exist, so be it; there can’t be that many of these “pirates” that it puts Google out of business.
/soapbox
wow i am guessing Google is not having a good month…
I am thinking of tinkering with developing something for Android, and one of my considerations is getting the dev phone. But, if I did, I’d probably use it as my regular phone.
So, I am not so sure of this now. At least, it causes me to reconsider.
well, i guess Google is the new Apple
Genius!
Now the only way people can get paid apps on an unlocked phone is to…. pirate them…. brilliant!
i am an Android Dev Phone owner and this feels pretty outrageous. there must be some better way to limit access to copy protected files in pay-for android apps than a hidden folder on the device. perhaps we could even not allow developers to get the 24 hour refund if this is just about money.
if not, then a warning about the limitations such as this when the device was released would have been nice.
instead, i feel i have already been blindsided by all sorts of limitations with this phone. i knew i wouldnt have 3G, but lets just talk about the plain lack of support and documentation for the Android Dev Phone, or even the HTC Dream at this point. with that comes confusing choices for ROM firmare updates, not sure who to turn to, etc.
this restriction to paid apps in the market is just one more reason i must stress to anyone looking to spend $400 to buy one, it really is for developers only.
i also have already had to service my Android Dev Phone phone by warranty and the return phone acts like i might have to send it back again.
i do hope things get better, i had higher hopes for this platform based on previous linux and other open source experiences.
I find this tremendously amusing. I did a google news search on this subject and got a total of 23 articles including 7 blog hits. Can you imagine the faux outrage that would be hitting the innertubes if Apple had blocked iPhone developers from buying apps from the iTunes app store?
So either no one cares about Android market or Google is getting a pass on this. Too funny.