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Can’t find what you’re looking for in the Android Market? Even AppBrain‘s sorts and filters are no help? Or you’re an Android developer and nobody’s downloading your newest creation because nobody can find it? Would you like a way to share good apps with your Android-using friends, or hope one user discovers your app and shares it with his friends?
You may have what you want soon. Andspot Market will be moving into public beta soon, after opening a private beta back in June. Getting noticed is one of the issues driving Andspot and other competing Android app stores. “There are 50,000 apps in the Android Market, while your phone lists only 50 apps at a time,” says Vincent Hoogsteder, co-founder and CEO of Distimo, an apps analytics company.
Right now Andspot is recruiting developers to put their apps in more markets. As well as offering 80% of the revenue for a limited time (subject to their terms and conditions), Andspot promises better exposure plus social tools such as discussion, fan pages, and messaging directly to users. The revenue share rate will be 70% to apps submitted after the promotional period (the same amount Google pays through Android Market). Andspot Market says they will provide their own analytics to developers, as well as APIs which developers can use to embed Andspot features into their websites.
For users, Andspot’s signature gimmick are the spottys, or “yellow dudes.” You customize one of the square-faced cartoons for your avatar, and interact with other Andspot Market users you become friends with. Follow their actions as they download apps, rate them, recommend them, share reviews, or discuss them. Twitter and Facebook sharing are built right into Andspot Market, so you can invite your friends and followers there to follow you back to the Social Android Market.
Here are a couple of screenshots that Andspot provided on their users webpage.
Unlike AppBrain, AndSpot asks developers to submit apps directly to them. (AppBrain filters through existing apps in the Android Market, based on user-selected choices.) AndSpot assumes the social aspect of their Market will keep apps flowing and get more attention for less-known apps that haven’t been discovered by enough people yet.
For now you can also follow Andspot Market’s Twitter feed.
Source: AndroidGuys