Hit the Mobile Malls: Apps Shopping Centers

Shopping Choices
If you happen to be shopping for apps for an iPhone 3G you have exactly one legal source and that is the iTunes App Store. Fortunately, it is an excellent resource with literally thousands of apps in 19 categories. For the T-Mobile G1 there is the Android Market. Being new, it has a small number of apps designed for devices using the Google Android OS but it is sure to expand rapidly as additional Android phones reach the market and as third party developers add their offerings. At this time only free apps are available in the Android market but paid apps should be available in the near future. Android apps, both paid and free, are also available from commercial vendors including Handango and MobiHand.

For apps for BlackBerries and devices using the Windows Mobile, Palm, or Symbian operating systems, there are several major sites. They include Handango, Handmark, and MobiHand. When shopping these sites start by selecting your device and then follow along…it’s easy.

Price
The pricing of mobile apps is an area of generally good news for the consumer: big bang-for-the-buck value. There are a surprisingly large number of free applications available in all categories. Other free applications are abbreviated versions of paid applications that are designed to give the user a taste of what the full app is like. It’s not unusual for the trial version to be adequate, but if you decide to purchase the program, many are still available for under $1! Some apps sell for as much as about $100 or more but those are uncommon. Also, some apps require a subscription, typically available for a month, a quarter, or a year. The subscription based programs are often among the most expensive.

Mobile phones, particularly smartphones, offer unprecedented convenience, flexibility, and communication for busy lives. Mobile applications team with the devices to make them even more formidable and indispensible tools. The mobile app market is expanding at a ferocious pace that will only gain speed in the future.