In the following I wish to share my experiences in developing and distributing apps for Google’s Android operating system.
My app, QuickTodo, is a basic todo list, a category which was already over subscribed at the point of entry to the Market. It provides notifications of tasks on a given due date. There is also a free version available, with a slightly limited feature set.
Firstly I am going to talk about developing the app, how easy it is to create an app, and mention a few pitfalls along the way. Secondly I will mention the process of adding the app to the Market. Finally I will talk about marketing the app, and what my experience has been in that area.
1. Development.
Getting started with Android development is relatively straightforward. Unlike the iPhone, you can develop on a Mac, PC or Linux machine. You will need to go to the Android SDK page and follow the instructions there. Basically you need to download three things – Eclipse, the Android SDK and the Android Plugins for Eclipse.
Once you have done that, you are presented with the option to create a project in Eclipse to target the Android platform. Development is done in Java, with some major differences in the way that you have to create your code. Several classes are completely gone, and replaced with ones more suitable for a mobile environment. If you have used Java before, you should have no difficulty adapting to the SDK’s way of doing things. Most of the core is there, but the graphical elements, and the way you access SQLite databases is different from the standard Java.
2. Android Market
Adding your app to the Market is relatively straightforward. There is a $25 (£17) charge to sign up, which allows you to upload multiple apps to the Market. The only thing you need to do is make sure that your app is signed before attempting to upload it. Thankfully, the Eclipse plugin helps you out here, by making it relatively easy to sign an app. You have to provide a description for the app, pick a category and set whether the app is paid for or free. You cannot change an app from being free to paid or vice versa after you have chosen this initially, although you can change the price of the app afterwards (paid apps only).
I encountered no problems using the market, or uploading apps. The one downside is that you cannot upload the app from your phone – you have to do it through your computer.
3. Marketing and Sales
This is probably the hardest part to get right. You have to market your app yourself. Google will not do this for you. Also sales are likely to be poor. QuickTodo has only had a handful of sales since its launch a few months ago. Part o the problem I think, is that although you have to have a Google account to use the phone, you have to set up payment separately and a lot of people don’t appear to have done this. Also there are not as many Android devices out there as iPhones for instance, so you will have to work harder at publicising your work.
I would be very interested in other people’s experiences with the Android platform, either as a user, or a developer, or in feedback on my app.
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