Handango confirms marketplace for paid Android apps

Sure, the Android Marketplace is nice and convenient and seems to be easy to use, but it does have one option missing that may make some developers stay away. The ability to charge for applications. We first heard that Handango was stepping up to take care of this issue a few weeks back and they have just officially confirmed the upcoming launch.

They will have their market available when the G1 launches on October 22 and users will be able to purchase the apps through a web interface and then download them directly to their handset for installation.

As for payment options, developers can choose to charge a one-time payment or have a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription. They can also opt to give the app away for free, but it seems logical that developers would want any free apps in the marketplace as that seems like it would offer more exposure.

While the complete initial catalog for Handango still has not been announced, they have mentioned a few apps that will be available. Those include Monopoly, The Weather Channel for Android, Voice on the Go, ShopSavvy, EzQuote, GoogHelper, Tipper, FitSync,Par 72 Golf II, Vegas Pool Sharks, Accutraking and FotMob.

It is nice to see this available as an option, but I cannot help to think it will be pushed aside once Google decide to offer paid apps in the official Android Marketplace. Of course, Handango already has a long history of offering paid apps for other mobile devices, so maybe the alternative will be a nice complement to the official Android Marketplace.

Read [PR Newswire]