In that time, however, we have only seen minor changes to one of the core pieces of the Android experience, the Android Market. Here we look at some of our perceived problems of the Android Market and try to offer our suggestions for how to improve it. Of course, this is not a new discussion, but rather one we have discussed several times here at Android and Me, and is a popular complaint around the web.

So, what’s so wrong with the Android Market?

Take a look at this list, which we published all the way back in February 2009, where we outlined some of our biggest complaints with the Android Market at that time. Now compare those complaints the Android Market today. The list is pretty much the same, regardless of which version you are running (which is another discussion altogether).

So, how is it that in eight months and through several versions of Android we have yet to see any of these (except for clearing the cache) hit the Android Market application? Granted, it is possible that these suggestions never made it to Google, but many of them are just common sense. But these are not the only complaints that we’ve seen floating around the web, and most of those changes have not yet made it into the Market.

For the sake of currency, let’s create a new list of complaints:

1. Allow URLs in description to launch browser

As was previously mentioned, it is incredibly cumbersome to retype links included in descriptions to be launched in the browser. Granted there is a Website field that should be used for that, but sometimes there is another link that is included in the description that should be clickable.

2. A popularity list for daily, weekly, monthly

This is a topic which has been discussed time and time again at various places including the official Android groups at Google Groups. While we do have a popularity sort in the Market (now called Top Paid and Top Free in Android 1.6) this doesn’t cut it because this appears to be all-time popularity so those at the top generally stay at the top. We need to be able to tell what is new and hot.

3. Sorting (and filtering) reviews by star rating

The ability to sort and filter reviews of products is very common in online marketplaces. The Android Market, however provides no such functionality to let a user decide how they want to view comments so that they get the most out of them.

4. Long press options on user reviews

As was mentioned before, we’d like to be able to see all reviews by a certain reviewer. This functionality could lead us to better app discoverability if we find a reviewer that offers meaningful reviews. And discoverability is something that the Market severely lacks.

5. Support for tagging applications

One of the foundations of a thriving virtual marketplace is discoverability, and the Android Market fails here at every turn. The current categories do not allow developers to accurately describe their application in many cases. Developers should be able to add tags for their applications and users should be allowed to add their own tags to increase the discoverability of applications and games.

6. Favorite Developers

The Market should provide a way for the user to “watch” a developer for new applications rather than resorting to following external news feeds such as Twitter and blogs to be notified of new applications by a developer they like.

7. Easy way to recommend applications

Again, we find ourselves discussing discoverability of applications. Right now, we have only the popularity sort and comments by which to get recommendations about other apps. What would work better is a “people who like this also liked…” function that is extremely common in online marketplaces. One Android developer (I4 Feet Software) has implemented a recommendation feature in their application My Market, but this feature should be available in the actual Android Market.

8. Bookmarking Applications

There are plenty of times where we install applications that are intriguing but they are not quite “there” and we’d like to bookmark those applications so that we can uninstall them and watch for updates. Why we must install and keep an application in order to receive update notifications is a mystery.

9. Better Search

Why, oh, why is it so hard for the search giant Google to adequately provide a search function in the Android Market? As it stands, the search feature of the market does not gracefully accept typos or other misspellings of application names, it does not allow boolean queries, and it does not allow you to limit your results to a certain type or category. So basically all of the features we know and love in Google search are absent in Android Market search.

10. Filters

A common complaint amongst users comes in the form of filterable market data. For many of us, there are certain types of applications and/or developers that we simply have no desire to ever see. This has even driven the development of the previously mentioned application My Market which implements this feature. The problem with My Market though, is that it relies on unsupported web calls that Google could change at any time, and it depends on the developer name and/or application name for its filters. All a developer has to do to avert being ignored is change the developer display name. If Google implemented this, the filters could be based on developer account as opposed to developer name.

11. Analytics For Developers

Developers need to be better able to gauge the successes and failures of their applications. Currently developers are only provided with the total downloads and the number of active installs of their applications. This information, while mildly useful, does not give enough to know how our applications are doing. Things like Android version, and region would help to troubleshoot issues. Being able to access comments from the Developer Console (along with extended information such as app version and Android version at time of comment) would also help. The “Reason for uninstalling survey” that users must fill out when uninstalling applications is never presented to the developer, so one can only guess why one’s users are uninstalling the application.

12 Inability to load multiple versions of the same app in same space

With multiple versions of Android being active, and such different functionality provided by each version, developers have a difficult task of keeping support for prior versions yet still updating to include new features. The current options for developers include upload a new version to a new space on the Market, use reflection to hack new features into older versions (and fail gracefully when those new features are not present), forget about new features, or forget old users. Developers should have the facility to upload a new version of an app into the same space but requires a certain version of Android. The Market would then determine the appropriate version to distribute to the user.

13. An official web-accessible version

While we have enjoyed having Cyrket and AndroLib, Google should provide an official web accessible version of the market for locating and viewing applications while not on the device. Ideally, this would provide real-time access to the same information as the on-device client. This would make it so that  users wouldn’t have to rely third-party sites using unsupported web service calls and caching of information previously collected (and potentially not updated).

14. Other issues presented by top Android developer Larva Labs on their blog:

a. Limitation of Application Description to 325 characters

This is simply not enough space to accurately describe an application or game in many cases.

b. Applications not listed (without apparent reason) for some users.

For no apparent reason some users simply don’t see certain apps. To make it worse, sometimes applications seem to come and go, again for no apparent reason.

c. Download failures.

We’ve all seen this happen, where we go to download an application or game and it simply doesn’t work.

d. Refunds

Refunds are good, and bad. They are good for those cases where you simply don’t get what you thought you were getting but, for certain types of apps (markedly games) 24 hours is simply too long. As Larva Labs quotes: “Great game, loved it. Beat it in an hour – refund.” is a relatively common comment.

For the sake of being fair, some things we like:

1. Screenshots for Applications and Games.

With Android 1.6, Google introduced screenshots to the Market. This is great for both users and developers because it allows the Developer to better communicate his/her application to the user, and the user can make a better decision about that application or game before downloading it. Unfortunately, the number of Android devices running 1.6 as disappointing, with many new phones still being released with 1.5.

2. Promo Graphics and Text.

Also with Android 1.6, Google introduced another opportunity for developers to reach their audience with promo graphics and text to be displayed (at Google’s will) in featured apps areas of the Market. Again, this requires the user to be on Android 1.6, and many are not.

3. Update Notifications.

It’s great to be notified when there are updates to applications you have installed. In the early days of the Market we had to physically look for updates to applications. It wasn’t hard, but it was an extra step we had to take to remain current. The notification system needs some work as there are numerous reports of false notifications and missing notifications, but overall this feature is good and we can still fall back to manual checking.

4. Openness.

The openness of the Android Market is one of its greatest features both for users and developers. With this openness, Users get a wide variety of applications, and developers can release updates and fixes without having to jump through hoops and approval processes.

So Where Do We Go From Here?

We think that Google must take a more active interest in the Android Market if it is to succeed.

The fact that so little of the user complaints have been addressed in the past year is very disheartening and is a shame considering the great potential of Android and the Market to bring new and exciting applications and games to users. This is especially important as Android gets more and more exposure, such as with the release of the Motorola Droid on Verizon this week. PC World has even gone so far as to say that the Android Market is holding back the success of the Droid even before it has been released. And with further pressure being added by the announcement that Palm will be opening up its market for Web OS, we think that the time is now for Google to make waves and improve on this key piece of the Android ecosystem.

For even more Market gripes check out these discussions of the official Google groups for Android here, here, and here.

1) More/Faster Processing Power

There are too many “hiccups” when opening and closing apps and too many force close issues. Too often when going back to the home screen you are stuck looking at your wallpaper waiting for the icons to come back up. And how many people filled their screens with widgets as soon as they got Cupcake? I know I did. And how many quickly realized all those widgets were slowing the phone down? More and faster processing power allow more home screens and more widgets with smoother transitions between apps as well as the ability to run multiple apps without making the device unusable.

2) A Better Browser

Looking at websites on my G1 often brings back memories of being on dial-up. Even when on my home wireless network it can take several minutes for a standard webpage to fully load. This is unforgivable considering Google makes, arguably, the fastest browser, Chrome. Opera is promising to bring their browser (not Opera Mini) to the platform but I would rather see the native browser improve then have to rely on 3rd parties.

3) Improved Battery Life

I know it, you know it. The battery life just plain old stinks. We have all had it happen. It’s 3pm, you look down at your phone and see the little icon on your status bar down to its last slice. Obviously this isn’t something that’s easy to fix. The more storage capacity a battery has the bigger and bulkier it gets and that usually isn’t what a consumer is looking for in a phone. I also recognize that this is something every manufacturer is looking into for all their phones. As soon as new technology is available I would like to see Android handset manufactures jump on it.

4) Exchange

In order for Android to gain acceptance in the business world it must have Exchange support built in. This was a priority for the iPhone and is the bread and butter of the Blackberry. Yes, the HTC Hero will have it. Yes, you can use a third party email client to get it. The problem is that it doesn’t support Exchange 100% out of the box and for many businesspeople (who are mostly non-techies) that’s a no go.

5) More First Party Apps

Sky Map, Finance, Google Voice… these are some pretty awesome apps. What do they have in common? They were developed by Google. By making awesome software they show what is possible on the platform. By making some of them exclusive it might be the deciding factor for some consumers. I’d love to see a Google Reader and/or Google Docs app. Yes, there are great third party apps (USA Today, Amazon.com, Locale, Ringdroid, etc) but I think Google needs to show the major developers out there that they are committed to the platform long term and that Android is a worthy competitor in the smartphone market.

6) Advertise

I see iPhone ads everywhere. I see Blackberry ads constantly. Recently I’ve been getting seriously creeped out by that woman in the Palm Pre ads. Meanwhile the only ads for an Android phone I’ve seen are the banners hanging up in the T-Mobile stores. Android is a consortium of several huge companies who have a lot invested in the platform. A marketing campaign would pay off big time.

I do not mean for this to be a list of complaints, rather a list of ideas. I want to see Android succeed and improve. I want to see more people walking around with their Android phones.

Tell us what you think Android needs to gain that all important market share of the smartphone market.

Changes are coming...

1. Fingerprint Scanner – Am I the only one tired of having to remember so many passwords and pins?  I’m ready for biometric security and fingerprint sensors are the way to go.  The technology has come a long way and is ready for cell phones.  It would be great for micro payments and online shopping too.

Example:  AuthenTec AES1711 Fingerprint Sensor

Authentec AES1711 Fingerprint Sensor

2. 12.1-megapixel Camera – The 3MP camera found in the T-Mobile G1 is decent, but there are much better options.  Samsung recently released the Memoir with 8MP camera.  Later this year we will see the first 12.1MP camera from Sony.  If I can take photos on the go and upload them to Twitter, I want them to be of the best quality and look like they were taken with a camera and not a phone.

Example:  Sony Ericsson Idou

Sony Ericsson Idou with 12.1MP Camera

3. 4.1″ Screen – There comes a point where screens can get too big, but I think 4″ is just right to fit in your pocket.  The T-Mobile G1 is the largest touch screen phone I have ever owned, but another inch would be great for web browsing and watching video.

Example:  Toshiba TG01

Toshiba TG01 with 4.1" Screen

4. HDMI Port – Adding HDMI to your phone opens the door to a rich multimedia experience.  You could store your favorite HD movies on your phone and easily play them on a friends television.  Games could be downloaded to your phone and then played on the big screen.  Other applications could also benefit from a large screen.

Example:  NVIDIA Tegra APX2600

NVIDIA Tegra APX2600 Platform Supports HDMI

5. Waterproof – How many phones have you dropped in the toilet?  I’ve killed about 3 myself.  Fujitsu recently released a waterproof phone that can be submersed in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.  This would also be great for that time when your best friend shoves you in the pool and you have your wallet and phone in your pockets.

Example:  Fujitsu F-01A

Go Swimming With Your Fujitsu F-01A

6. SDXC – The largest memory I can buy for my G1 is the Sandisk 16GB microSD Card.  Soon, we should see 32GB microSD cards hit retail.  I hope my next phone supports SDXC (eXtended Capacity) memory cards.  This next generation form of flash memory will support up to 2 TB (thats over 100HD movies) and have transfer speeds up to 300MB/s.

Example:  SD Association SDXC

When 32GB is not enough for your music collection...

7. Built in FM Receiver and Transmitter – This has been around for several years, but I don’t know why a FM transmitter is not standard.  All the new phones have Bluetooth, but most of our cars do not.  Now that your phone is always connected, this is the perfect solution for listening to podcasts and internet radio.

Example: Sony Ericsson W980

Grrrrr. Wish I had a FM transmitter built in.

8. EEStor EESU – Ok I know this is a real dream and we might not see it for years.  EEStor is a small company out of Texas that claims to have developed a new super capacitor for energy storage.  Most of the press has focused on their use in electric vehicles or the next generation of weapons.  My hope is that they target consumer electronics like laptops and cell phones.  Imagine plugging your phone in for 5 minutes and having a charge that would last you a week.

Example:  ZENN Cars future EESU

Will we ever see the EESU?

9. Projector – Projector phones have finally made their way over to the US.  Maybe this is more of a novelty, but I still think it would be cool to have a projector in my phone.  You could play YouTube clips on the wall at a friends place.  Imagine a virtual box score thrown up on the wall while you watch the big game with friends.

Example:  Logic Bolt

Pocket Projector from Logic Bolt

I could keep going on and on, but what hardware features would you like to see on your next phone?  Do you have any ideas for phones that are not currently available?  Would you like to watch DTV on your phone?

1.  No Multiple From Field.  I use my main Gmail account to manager several others.  I often receive emails from my other accounts that I wish to reply to, but I’m only offered the default email.  This is major annoying and I hope a high priority.

Limited Sync Options

2. Select Multiple Emails.  In the web version of Gmail, you can select multiple emails at once to perform a single action on them.  For example, I sometimes mark a group of emails as read or move several emails to a folder at the same time.  This would not be hard to implement in Android and I want to see it.

3. Improved Home Screen.  I have a lot of custom filters and folders setup on my web Gmail.  When I login, I can instantly see what new emails are waiting for me in different folders and accounts.  On Android, I have to hit menu to browse lables and then drill down.  It would be nice to have an improved home screen that display more information.  A simple top row that display stats would be great.

4. Fix Sync Problems.  Often when I view my folders, it says I have “-1″ or “1″ unread emails when there is nothing new in the folder.  Emails sometimes get stuck in the draft folder.  Other times, emails will not send at all.  I have a lot of problems when I attempt to send an email to myself.  I’m also dissappointed with the sync options for each folder; its either 4 days or all.

5. Download Attachments.  Why can’t I download certain attachments?  If I can download the file on my pc, then I want to be able to download it on my Android.  I do not want any restrictions place on my downloads.

Gmail Labels

6. Attachments Preview.  Also related to attacments are document previews.  Most documents will not preview on Android.  If you attempt to preview certain docs, then Gmail will force close.  I would like to see the same functionality of the web client.

7. Label Options.  When you have a lot of email to keep track of, labels are very useful.  I tag most of my emails and I like that Android will allow you to select multiple tags.  We are still missing some options though such as the ability to create, rename, or remove a label.

What bugs annoy you most?  Are there any features you found lacking?  What fix is your top priority?

1. Control Over the Browser Cache.  With the limited internal storage space on the G1, most users have noticed the large amount of space the Browser application can take up.  I learned the hard way, that when you go to clear data, it also wipes out your bookmarks.  Android users with root access can move the cache to their SD card and I think Google should allow us that option.

Taking up space..

2. Management of Bookmarks.  Most of the Google services offered for Android are automatically backed up online.  Why is it then that we can not backup our bookmarks?  This would allow us to easily transfer favs between our PC and phone and allow us to share them with contacts.  I would also like to see a better way to manage your backups.  You should be able to create folders and arrange them.

3. Multitouch Support.  I don’t care about reports that Apple nixed the multitouch feature.  It is a feature that users want and needs to be turned on.  Currently people who hacked their phone(root users) have the ability to try out the feature.  I’m am running one of JF’s builds with the feature turned on and I find it useful.  There are many times when the little plus/minus will not do and its easy to pinch and pull to zoom.

4. Autorotate.  It is annoying having to make 3 clicks to flip screen orientation.  I don’t see how this feature was left off.  Alternative browsers have the option and there are tools like Droidsans which allow you to turn it on.

5. More YouTube Options – So it might not be till 2010 when we finally see Adobe release Flash 10 for Android, but we can still play Youtube movies inside the browser.  There are other apps to allow this as well as download YouTube clips to your phone.  Make those features standard.

I'm starting to like Steel

6. Upload Support – Opera Mini supports this feature.  Is there some reason the Android browser does not?

7. Touch Shortcuts – I want to see more innovation with the touch and gesture controls.  Steel is doing some interesting things with their control options.  I want to use more gesture motions to jump to the bottom of a page even reload the current page.

What else would you like to see in future updates to the Android Browser?  Would you like to submit your own lists of complaints about anything Android related? Contact us and we may publish your entry.

Even with the new updates, the market is lacking in many areas.  Since Google has responded well to criticism, I would like to offer some of my own suggestions.  Let me know what you think of my ideas and read to the end to learn how to send your questions directly to Google and get a response.

A welcome addition.

1. Allow URLs in description to launch browser.  Developers always place links to important information in their descriptions, but you are unable to click them.  Instead you have to launch your browser then type in the URL.  This is annoying and can be difficult with long URLs.

2. The ability to clear Market cache.  If you have owned your phone for several months or downloaded a lot of applications and games, you have seen the low disk space warning.  When users go to manage their applications, they find that Market is using up to 29MB.  Give us the ability to manually clean this up.

3. A popularity list for daily, weekly, monthly.  You can currently browse the applications by popularity or date.  Only the all time stats are shown with the popularity option.  I want to see the popularity by different time frames so I can see trends and find whats hot.  Atrackdog offers this feature but I want it inside the application.

4. Sorting reviews by star rating.  Most sites with customer reviews allow you to view the amount of ratings for each star rating and then drill down to each one.  This allows you to find the complaints and praises easily.  You can also see if there is a big difference between 1s and 5s and how all votes are distributed.

Understatement

5. Long press options on user reviews.  I want more options when I long press a comment.  Maybe the review is really detailed and I want to add that user as a favorite to find their other reviews.  With favorite users added, Google could suggest new apps to us based on others behavior.  We can now spam comments but there are a lot of users I would just rather block.  Finally, it would be nice to contact the user to answer a question they might have asked.

6. Support for tagging applications.  There are categories and a search function, but it is still hard to find certain applications.  By adding user tagging, relevant apps could be linked on the details page.  This would let the user evaluate competing applications and pick the best.  Time stamp info would be nice too.

7. Favorite Developers.  Give me the option to star a developer so I can see when he releases other applications.  There are a lot of good devs who release multiple apps and it would be a plus to get updates on their actions.  Some have chosen to use Twitter, but why not just build it in.

If you would like to get involved, I encourage you to voice your concerns by visiting the Android Market Help Forums.  Here you can post questions that Google employees might respond to.  I have tried to get comments on two of my ideas but there have been no responses.

Look for the green check to find Google employees.

If you want to find the post that have responses from Google employees, look for the post that are marked with a green checkmark.  Also be sure to click the link “show all answers” to see if there are more official comments from Google.