Google Announces Android Market

Today Google announced the Android Market, which will be an open content distribution system where users can find, purchase, download and install content on their Android-powered phones. Google will host the service and allow developers to use it to get their applications into the hands of end users. It will have a rating and feedback system similar to YouTube. Google says the process for getting content into the Android Market has only three steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe the app/service and publish it. The Android Market will be a beta feature on the first wave of Android handsets. Google says decisions about how it will function are still being made, so it is not yet a final product. Google expects the market to offer free and paid content. Google will finalize the market after Android officially launches, and provide a software update to the first wave of phones.