Developers and carriers sometimes work together but are often not natural partners. Japanese operator KDDI wants to change that. Almost exactly one year ago KDDI introduced au Smart Pass, a service whereby its smartphone customers can get unlimited access to approximately 500 Android apps for around $4.90 per month. This includes both free and premium apps such as games from Gameloft, the messaging app Line and the mobile-only Dolphin browser. Most of the apps featured in au Smart Pass are local to Japan, but that may be changing. American developers may soon get a chance to make some money that's not from in-app advertising or app download fees. For more on au Smart Pass, check out this FierceDeveloper special report.
