What is still missing from the Market?

As we all know, the Android Market has been updated (if you are running 2.2 and go here).  We covered some of the changes that were announced a few days ago here.  I’m not going to go into great detail regarding these.  Instead I want to go and investigate what is still lacking.  We all know that no matter what Google does there will always be some necessary changes.  Of course these have been covered by everybody and their brother, yet with the changes that have come, it is appropriate.

Online Market:

When Android 2.2 was announced at I/O 2010 they shared some of the upcoming features that we might see in Gingerbread (Android 2.3).  One of the features that they demonstrated was the ability to go browse the Android Market online.  They showed this during I/O.  Yet, if you go to the Android - Market webpage you find the same page that has been there for ages.  No changes, no ability to even read the description.  Where is it?

AppBrain managed to allow you to search the Android Market via AppBrain, yet it links into the official Android Market.  They even opened up the ability to install via Fast Web Install.  Again, this was demonstrated by Google – why can some other company offer it and Google cannot yet? I don’t get it.

Here is a good example of what Google could do for the online Android Market.  As you can see the people who created this online market is the very same Google that we know and love.  Could it be possible that those users who are currently (or soon will be) testing the CR-48 may be getting “dog-fooded” the blueprint for the Android Market?  I certainly hope so.

Here is AppBrain’s version of their online market.  If you choose to install any of the apps that are found in AppBrain it takes you to the actual Android Market.  Up until the new redesign of the market, I used AppBrain exclusively.  This is due to the fact that most of what I have wanted the official Market to offer, they have added to their app. *Unfortunately in the latest release of the Android market – “Google has made fast web install impossible in the latest upgrade of the Android market, which is installed on your device.”

Related:

Google released the Related tab last week, and then followed up with a full version on the updated market.  It somewhat works, but still not nearly as well as I would like.  Why is it that the leading company in Search still struggles with finding matching applications.  Is it due to developers not using correct keywords?  I don’t quite understand why it is so difficult for search to be more fully implemented within the Market.  For example, When you go to Google Books in the Market and look at related you get this message:

This doesn’t make any sense as there are any number of ebook applications out there and these are big name apps such as Kindle.  This just doesn’t make any sense.  Why can’t Google get their suggestions right?  It is time for Google to apply what they know best, search, and apply it EFFECTIVELY to the Android Market.

 

Trials:

Google announced a change in the refund policy coming with the new market.  Instead of the 24 hour window that you had (technically 48 hours, if you went directly to the developer) there is now a 15 minute time limit.  I have heard many arguments regarding this.  I personally feel that it is not enough time.  A number of us on our Sunday broadcast BreakfastWithAndy (not AndroidStory) discussed different options that could be offered here.  We discussed the possibility of setting different rules for the app type, games possibly get a longer return window or the idea of extending the refund window to 1 hour.  Personally I think the best move would be to follow in the footsteps of the App Store, and have more Trial options.  I think that would allow anyone to see how they feel about an application, if it works for them then they can buy it.  I think it offers the perfect balance of protecting both the developer and the consumer.  I am suggesting that developers choose this option.  I have purchased plenty of apps that were trial first.

Music:

During I/O Vic Gundotra stated that it “is the Android Marketplace, because it is more than Apps.”  Then he showed the ability to purchase music via the Market.  We know it is coming, but when?  I know that we are all very much looking forward to “Google Music.”  Personally I like the idea in theory but given the issues that already plague the market, the idea of adding music into the market is frightening.  I like how Google has implemented Google Books which is a standalone store.

Alternative Payment Options:

As far as I know, the only carrier offering Carrier Billing is T-Mobile.  I have checked this on both Verizon and Sprint in the new market and found that it is still unavailable. (If you have AT&T please confirm this is also the case and let me know).  On October 26th, Naveed Anwar announced on the Paypal blog that they were about to offer billing on the Market. This post was quickly taken down and nothing more seems to have come of it.  As we all know Paypal is one of the leading payment systems in the world.  I am fairly certain that offering Paypal will be a huge incentive to not only consumers but developers as well.  I don’t understand what the hold up is but it must be coming.