In a move that could seriously impact third-party developers, Google is reportedly making significant investment into in-house app designers for mobile software. According to the WSJ‘s sources, Google is hiring software engineers, product managers, user-interface experts and others with Android app concepts, as well as re-purposing existing staff, to significantly broaden the number and quality of mobile apps they offer.

The new strategy is apparently intended to further take on Apple, which has a strong reputation for solid in-house apps. Some of the new Google titles would be Android-specific, the sources claim, but not all, and Google will bankroll small teams with product-manager Benjamin Ling supposedly taking responsibility for overall management of the project.

4 COMMENTS

    • I’m not sure if whining is how I’d describe it. If Google pushes out free
      apps (likely supported by ad revenue) then will individual developers still
      be encouraged to compete with paid apps, as both they and Google say they
      want to see more success with in the Android Market?

      • As a consumer, I couldn’t care less. Everyone talking about developer making money. I don’t care. As a user, I want the best for the lowest price.

        But, if a developer makes an extraordinary good app, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it for good money. And if there is an app that is free, and the paid-app is better, I would do it, too.

        But if there is no real, tough competition, most of the developers pushing out crap and still want money for it. That’s not what I want, and I don’t care if those devs vanishes from the Android market.

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