Finally, Google has announced the arrival of a way to discover and install apps for Android phones directly through the internet. And yes, the Android Market Web Store is a full service that lets users buy and install apps through a desktop computer.
This is a big day for Android.
The new desktop web purchasing system supports multiple devices, so you’re able to ping your purchased apps to the Android phone or tablet of your choice.
Apps will download directly to your phone automatically, with a Notification appearing on your phone and the app beginning to download itself. You can browse, sort by popularity, emails links – it’s a proper thing!
This is the new web-based app description page. The Google man has said this update should roll out TODAY – but it’s not showing at time of writing. Keep refreshing http://www.android.com/market and see when it pops up.
This is the My Account page, where you can set up devices and change your default settings.
It’s smooth to use, the 1080p display is sharp, clear and bright, the device is extremely light and thin and therefore very pocketable and portable — much more so than other 5-inch phones we’ve used. And yet… we’re a bit unimpressed by the overall package…
A relatively high-spec smartphone, with a 4.5″ display running at 480 x 854 resolution and powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, plus the Ascend G510 arrives running Android 4.1.1 — albeit potentially hindered by Huawei only sticking 512MB of RAM inside it..
The Panasonic Eluga marks the company’s return to the European mobile phone scene years after several years of absence, and it’s come back to us with a moderately high-spec Android model that features a rather stylish, slim case.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
Rik Hemsley
/ February 2, 2011Good, but it’s typical of Google to fuck it up somewhat. They can’t seem to provide a seamless experience.
Example: I browsed to http://market.android.com/details?id=apps_topselling_free&start=12&num=12
Then I clicked the INSTALL link next to Bubble Buster.
The store tells me I have to sign in to process, then takes me to a familiar looking Google sign in page. I type my password, hit Submit, and am taken to:
https://market.android.com/details?id=apps_topselling_free&start=12&num=12&rdid=com.skitapps.bubblebuster
The SSL cert handed out is for *.google.com
So I now see a warning on a bright red background, reading:
This is probably not the site that you are looking for!
You attempted to reach market.android.com, but instead you actually reached a server identifying itself as *.google.com. This may be caused by a misconfiguration on the server or by something more serious. An attacker on your network could be trying to get you to visit a fake (and potentially harmful) version of market.android.com. You should not proceed.
Guess which well known browser I’m using?
I suppose they did me a favour. I realised I’ll never bother to play the game and installing it will cause messages like ‘I was of space, so I rejected some SMS for you. You’ll never know who sent them or what they were about.’
Gary C
/ February 2, 2011I think it’s all a bit bollocksed at the moment and that’s not representative of the actual user experience.
I just made it work OK and the app auto-downloaded onto my phone without any issues.