HDTV/3D TV News
Those who use an Android handset courtesy of Vodafone will be pleased to hear of a new convenience the company is now rolling out.
Operator billing means that customers can pick up Android apps at the marketplace and have the cost added straight onto their mobile bill – or deducted directly from their remaining credit in the case of PAYG.
It’s a no-hassle way of paying for apps, with no need to enter any credit card details. Although in the case of having the cost just slapped straight onto your bill, the ease of use is perhaps a slightly more dangerous method for those who aren’t good at keeping track of their spending.
This new system is being introduced to the UK and Germany first, initially for those who have purchased their Android smartphone via a Vodafone store or the Voda website.
Vodafone wrote in a post on its developer blog: “This evolution in Android app payment greatly improves the user’s purchase experience & consequently their likelihood of completing a sale.”
“In addition to facilitating the best possible user experience, Vodafone operator billing extends your reach to the large number of app buying customers who are unwilling or unable to use credit cards. In some countries this can be more than 90% of the market.”
The scheme is set to come to more markets soon, presumably other European countries first, we’re guessing.
A recent piece of research by Nielsen showed that when it came to Android apps, usage was very much focused on the best sellers (with the top fifty apps accounting for 60% of the time Android users spent with apps).
That was in the US, but a global Distimo study in May showed that 80% of paid-for apps on the marketplace had been downloaded less than 100 times.
It’s long been known Google’s OS has been focused on the top echelons app-wise. However, the Android market has seen some recent changes to the interface and app ranking process which will hopefully bring more attention to alternative apps aside from the most obvious sellers.
And that, along with this new convenient method of billing, could help spread the monetary love for developers. Which in turn will stimulate further interest in developing for Android, and keep up the phenomenal pace the OS has set thus far.
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