G1 News

Anyone that bought an unblocked G1 phone is no longer able to download apps from the app store, since  Google changed the set up last week. Any user with an unblocked G1  phone can’t access copy prohibited applications, including those that cost to download.

Google made the changes in an attempt to close a loophole that reportedly allows users to unlock the phone and download apps for free. Google allows returns within 24 hours of downloading. The Android market allows anyone to return an application within 24 hours; in contrast to the iPhone app store which has none of the freedoms of the Android system.

So how it works is this – protected applications are automatically downloaded into a private Android folder. Most phone users can’t access the files but users of the developer phone can. In that way a specific developer phone user could buy an application, copy it from a private folder, return the application for a refund and then re-download the application to the phone. The developer version of the G1 was designed to give developers “flexibility” by letting them have full permission to use the software.

But I know that if I’d paid $400 for a phone and then found out that I couldn’t access any of the applications, I’d be mightily pissed off. If it was applications (that I’d designed myself) and I couldn’t get access to on my phone; I’d be even more pissed off.

One developer is proposing a “developer revolt” and encouraging all developers to pull their applications from the store.

“It would be the only way to show Google that this is not acceptable, and that devs are not second (third?) class citizens on the Market”.

“I am beyond angry that I can not even see my own paid app on the market with my 400 dollar dev phone!”

Looks like Google have got some making up to do.