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Google Makes Nice, Lets Devs Get Paid Apps, Updates Android Dev Phone 1

Owners of the Android Dev Phone 1 recently discovered that they wouldn't have access to the premium, paid apps offered via the Android Market. Google has (mostly) reversed this policy, and also offered a firmware update for the Dev Phone 1.

There was a small furor over Android developers' inability to access paid apps in the Android Market. It appears that Google and its Android team listened to the complaints. Dan Morrill, developer advocate, responded to developer comments about the issue:

Some developers have asked about the support for copy-protected apps on developer devices, and indeed there is a limitation you should be aware of. Many developers are concerned about the unauthorized redistribution of their applications, so they make use of the copy-protection feature (known as 'forward locking') which prevents applications from being copied off devices. However, developer phones like the ADP1 allow for unrestricted access to the device's contents, making it impossible to enforce copy protection. As a result, the Market application on such devices is not able to access copy-protected apps, whether they are free or paid. If you choose to add copy protection when you upload your application to the Android Market, then you won't be able to test it on the ADP1's Android Market client. Your application will always be accessible to users who have standard configurations, though, and if your application (whether it is free or paid) is not copy-protected it will appear on all devices, including developer configurations.

That sounds like a reasonable solution for all involved. After all, developers using the ADP1 paid a premium of $400 to get unlocked versions of the first Android phone from HTC. Locking them out of the paid apps seemed like a slap in the face. This appears to be Google's attempt at offering an olive branch.

On top of this, the ADP1 gets a firmware update. Version 1.1 of Android for the Android Dev Phone offers a bunch of new features, including POP3 e-mail fixes, alarm clock fixes, mail notification/refresh fixes, business reviews in maps, and support for voice search.

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