“We’re pleased to announce the launch of Android Market In-app Billing to developers and users. As an Android developer, you will now be able to publish apps that use In-app Billing and your users can make purchases from within your apps,” stated the blog post. This new launch will greatly enhance the sale of applications in the Android market, as prior to this, Android-based app creators could only sell their apps in the app market, and the monetary transaction was also a complex process. Moreover, owing to this constraint, the developers were left with no choice, but to offer their software free of cost to the users.

The negatives

Even though this in-app payment offer is very beneficial, and is one of major revenue source for Apple which also offers a similar service to its iPhone customers, it has some flaws. Malware and theft are major worries for Android app developers, while opting for selling their applications through this method. “It’s also worth noting the hidden (or at least partially obscured) costs of some apps that use this model. Previously, Android apps could be bought with a simple one-off payment – you knew exactly what you were paying, even if it was a relatively expensive app,” said a technology expert.

Google helping Android market develop

Google Inc. has been working at developing the Android market, and in its bid, it has also encouraged creation of new apps by developers. “Despite the developments, Google has a lot more work to do with Android Market, improving the buying experience for visitors, adding more methods for payment worldwide, and more,” added a market analyst.