Responding to growing developer frustration over premium Android application distribution opportunities, Google expanded Android Market paid app sales to 20 new international markets, promising to add another 18 countries over the next two weeks. According to Android Developer Ecosystem manager Eric Chu, support for paid apps now spans across nations including Canada, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan. In addition, Android Market users in 32 countries may now purchase premium apps with the addition of markets like Argentina, Belgium, India, Hong Kong and Singapore.
"No action is necessary if you have targeted your paid apps to be available to ‘All Locations' and would like to launch in these additional countries," Chu writes on the Android Developers Blog. "If you have not selected ‘All Locations' and would like to target these additional countries, or if you have selected ‘All Locations' and do not want to launch your apps in these additional buyer countries, please visit the Android Market publisher site regularly over the next two weeks to make the necessary adjustments as the new buyer countries launch." Chu adds Android Market will continue introducing premium apps into more new markets in the months ahead.
Prior to the new expansion, developers in only nine countries were able to distribute paid apps via Android Market, with premium apps available in just 14 of the 46 countries that the storefront serves. Consumers still must register for a Google Checkout account in order to download paid Android applications, except in locations where operator billing is available.
For more on Android Market's paid apps expansion:
- read this Android Developers Blog entry
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