Android Dev Phone Gets Update to 1.1, Paid Apps Get A Semi-Solution

If you rock the Android Dev Phone you now have the right to be annoyed. Though Google just released a firmware update to your device which includes fixes for POP3 e-mail accounts, the alarm clock, Gmail send bug, mail notification, search by voice, and maps, it still only semi-solves the priced apps problem.

Yes, the Android Dev Phone can now have access to paid applications but with one freakn' huge caveat. Only the paid applications that aren't copy protected. According to Google, developers have an option of using a copy-protection feature known as "forward locking" which helps prevent applications from being copied off devices. Since the Android Dev Phone has unrestricted access to the content, it easily circumvents any copy protection. Therefore, copy-protected paid apps (most of them, we presume) still won't pop up in Android Market.

Look, we understand that the developers need to be rewarded for their hard work but leaving those who just spent $400 to support Android without a true solution to the paid applications problem definitely sucks. We hope to see a better solution in the near future.

What do you guys think?

[android developers blog]

Casey Chan