Android Market was launched on 23 October 2008, and for first months it works as a beta with free software, because billing features will be implemented on Q1 2009. It had just over 50 apps on start. It’s simple and clean to navigate download system. The main menu consists of a bar with featured apps, and a list of the main categories as Applications, Games, Search and My Downloads.
After one month, on November 28, Medialets has revealed list of the most popular downloads from Android Market. Namco classic game Pac-Man, with more than 250,000 downloads, and average 4.5 out of 5 user rating was first over almost 300 apps. Next apps as MySpace Mobile, The Weather Channel, ShopSavvy, Ringdroid, imeem Mobile, Shazam, Rings Extended, Bonsai Blast and Brain Genius Deluxe scored between 50,000 and 250,000 downloads each.
On 1st-quarter of 2009, this Google powered system has 4 competitors: Apple App Store, BlackBerry Application Centre, Nokia Download! and Palm Software Store.
On December 31, 2008 Google sent an email to Android Market participants about paid apps. Payment systems will be implemented in first quarter of 2009 in the U.S. and U.K., next in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, and later in France, Italy, and Spain. By the end of Q1 2009, will be announced list of another supported countries.
On January 18, 2009 Eric Chu announced that Android Market will become available to users in Germany, Poland, Austria, Netherlands, and Czech Republic. It is related with launching Android phones across Europe.
On a conference dedicated to fourth-quarter of results, Google annouced that on Android Market there were more than 800 applications.
On 25 January 2009 was annouced information about first harmful app forAndroid. “MemoryUp Personal” is destroying personal data when installed onto a handset