Android Market Update: New Countries Getting Android Phones
| by Rob Jackson on May 28th, 2009 |
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We’ve gotten another Email from the Android Market Support Team, led by Eric Chu, outlining potentially exciting updates to the Android Market. I say “potential” because they are only exciting if you live in one of the following countries:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Norway
- Belgium
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
- Japan
Developers can now target these locations for FREE applications using check boxes in their Application Publisher panel on Android.com.
Please note that these markets do not yet have Android devices but we expect them to become available soon.
So congratulations to Android fans in the above countries, the days are numbered before you’ll be able to purchase an Android phone and enjoy all the luxuries of the world’s #1 mobile OS!
1. Charbax wrote on May 28, 2009
What’s cool about Denmark, is that the law limits mobile phone contracts at 6 months, cause I hate being tied up for 2 years on a mobile phone, even if it’s running the Android OS which is the worlds best embedded OS.
The HTC Magic and Samsung Galaxy just aren’t awesome enough in terms of hardware features that they have, especially not in terms of screen resolution, processing power and multimedia features.
Though there will be 20 different Android products available including the Archos Android device in the next few months. So I look forward to $200 or $150 Android devices being available without any need to sign any long term mobile service contracts.
In Denmark we have 10GB cap on HSDPA data services with a SIM card for about $15 per month. I have no need for voice and SMS packages! My Android device should do everything on a monthly $15 Data package including VOIP and IM features!
2. Charbax wrote on May 28, 2009
Basically an unlocked Android device branded “with Google”, thus totally open to any third party applications being installed, should sell starting at $150 unlocked with no contracts required. And work on any $15 per month 10GB HSDPA data package which should also not have any data filtering restrictions be it for VOIP, video streaming, webradio streaming or any other data intensive data applications.
These upcoming Android deals have nothing to do with the current US Android and iPhone contracts that forces the consumer to pay over $1500 during the 2 years of that contract.
3. Raymanism wrote on May 28, 2009
Guys, I don’t own an Android phone yet, but I’m very interested in getting one… But what is all this about the Android Market country availability?
If I buy an Android phone, and my country isn’t listed as available under Android Market, does that mean I can’t access it on my phone at all? or I simply can’t buy paid apps? Would I still be able to download free software?
4. John Bäckstrand wrote on May 28, 2009
There are ways to access the market even if youre not in one of these countries. I think it might require rooting youre phone though….
5. John Bäckstrand wrote on May 28, 2009
Sorry, above comment was actually about paying for applications. I’m not sure about accessing free apps targeted for different countries, but Im guessing it is possible.
6. Paranoid Android wrote on May 28, 2009
You’ll be able to access all free apps that were published for “all current and future countries”. I would guess that’s well over 90% of all free apps on the Android Market.
Paid apps probably won’t be available since you’d need a Checkout account with a credit card issued in one of the supported countries.
7. Aftoc wrote on May 28, 2009
Sweden already has HTC Magic available!
8. Jompa wrote on May 28, 2009
Yay, Norway is on the list!
9. Daniel wrote on May 28, 2009
This evening, the market app suddenly showed a new item in the menu that allows people in Sweden (like myself) and probably other countries listed above to finally start purchasing paid apps. Unfortunately, the lists are currently empty (which i suspect will change soon ;-))
//D
10. hey you wrote on May 28, 2009
Hong Kong is not a “country”
wiki:
“Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China,[6] is a largely self-governing [7] territory of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)”
11. Rob Jackson wrote on May 28, 2009
@hey you – actually it is a country. Google just purchased it and is relocating their headquarters there and renaming it “Hoongle Koongle”
12. Daniel wrote on May 29, 2009
11. LOL
As for paid apps in the market, it suddenly dissapeared again (strange?!). Not that it contained anything at all, but still ;-)
13. Mikos wrote on June 27, 2009
So that´s why only ‘free’ aps are showing in ‘my’ Market place, and I cannot buy…What a shame. And I don’t get it. At web shops I can buy from almost anywhere in the world, but when it somes to Android I cannot?
Sigh..
14. Pearlie wrote on February 24, 2010
when can u provide android market in the philippines because i have mytouch 3g T-mobile but i cannot use it because of android. Please send an email to pearlie_jamin@yahoo.com for your answer.
thank you.
Hope to hear for your soon.