Google is encouraging development of its new Android platform and has announced the Android Developer Challenge with $10m up for grabs by the most promising phone apps.
In the Android Developer Challenge I, the 50 most promising entries received by March 3 will each receive a $25,000 award to fund further development. Those selected will then be eligible for even greater recognition via ten $275,000 awards and ten $100,000 awards.
"We've built some interesting applications for Android but the best applications are not here yet and that's because they're going to be written by developers," said Sergey Brin, president of Google. "We'd like to reward these developers and recognise them as much as possible."
The award money will be distributed equally between two Android Developer Challenges:
Google are welcoming all types of applications but are looking to reward innovative, useful apps that make use of Android's capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience.
Google's list of suggestions shows what kind of things they expect will get Android onto handsets:
"We've built some interesting applications for Android but the best applications are not here yet and that's because they're going to be written by developers," said Sergey Brin, president of Google. "We'd like to reward these developers and recognise them as much as possible."
The award money will be distributed equally between two Android Developer Challenges:
- Android Developer Challenge I: We will accept submissions from January 2 through March 3, 2008
- Android Developer Challenge II: This part will launch after the first handsets built on the platform become available in the second half of 2008
Google are welcoming all types of applications but are looking to reward innovative, useful apps that make use of Android's capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience.
Google's list of suggestions shows what kind of things they expect will get Android onto handsets:
- Social networking
- Media consumption, management, editing, or sharing, e.g., photos
- Productivity and collaboration such as email, IM, calendar, etc.
- Gaming
- News and information
- Rethinking of traditional user interfaces
- Use of mash-up functionality
- Use of location-based services
- Humanitarian benefits
- Applications in service of global economic development
Android handsets are expected to hit shelves next year.