Google will offer consumers free trials of mobile applications available on its Android Market virtual storefront according to Andy Rubin, who spearheads Android efforts for the web services giant. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Rubin said the free trials are just one of the significant differences separating Android Market from Apple's rival App Store--some developers have cited the absence of free iPhone consumer trials as a major obstacle to App Store software sales.
Nor will Android Market impose limits on how much bandwidth a given app will consume, Rubin said--T-Mobile USA, which will launch the HTC-produced G1 (the first Android-based handset) later this month, recently announced it will require developers to pay a $2.00 monthly fee if their free apps occupy more than 15 megabytes of bandwidth per user per month, although Rubin's promises would seem to suggest T-Mobile will find it difficult if not impossible to enforce such a policy.
For more on the Android Market policies:
- read this BusinessWeek article
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