T-Mobile USA said it will add an operator billing option for subscribers who purchase applications from Google's Android Market virtual storefront. Speaking at last week's Open Mobile Summit event in San Francisco, T-Mobile USA CTO Cole Brodman said the operator will enable consumers to add Android app charges to their monthly bills beginning Nov. 17--Brodman promised the introduction of a one-click purchase method that does not require users to enter credit card information, and said T-Mobile will pay developers their percentage of the charge on the back end. In addition, the carrier will introduce its own branded Android Market channel to spotlight its own applications and those of selected developer partners.
As reported by sister publication FierceWireless, Brodman said T-Mobile USA will offer four Android smartphones by the end of 2009, adding that number will double to eight in the first half of 2010. According to Brodman, the carrier expects smartphones will represent about 40 percent of its device sales during Q4--he said current Android subscribers consume 50 times more data than other customers, and about half of Android users visit Android Market every day. Other key metrics on T-Mobile's Android demographic:
- Eighty percent of Android users browse at least once a day, with two-thirds browsing numerous times per day
- Nearly half of the carrier's HTC myTouch 3G users customize their phone with applications
- More than 40 percent of Android users access social networking sites multiple times per day
For more on T-Mobile USA's Android outlook:
- read this PCWorld article
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