UPDATE: So Airtel’s App Store variant will be known as App Central and it will be WAP-based only. Airtel users can point the phone’s browser to http://airtel.cellmania.com using Airtel Live’s WAP profile. The only good thing I found for now is the buying part. The site automatically detects your Airtel number and bills it for any paid app.
Developers can submit new applications here. The revenue sharing for developers will be 70% of what Cellmania receives. Currently, Cellmania will receives 40% and therefore a developer will receive 28%.
India’s largest cellular operator, Airtel will open their App Store tomorrow with an initial count of over 1,200 applications. This move will make Airtel the first operator and in fact the first Indian company to launch their version of App Store.
Although Airtel is confident that their App Store can taste success, it can be a hectic job managing a store with apps meant for different OSes.
Airtel is planning to provide credit/debit card as well as cellular billing for both prepaid and postpaid customers. Prepaid customers will be able to buy applications from their account balance while purchases from postpaid customers will be added to the bill.
Airtel is still mum on the developer sharing ratio but says the apps will be a mix of free, paid and subscription apps. The price will vary from Rs. 5 to Rs. 25 for paid apps whereas Re. 1/day for certain subscription-based apps.
Few apps that will make its way on the launch day will be RockeTalk IM client, CATGURU (CAT preparatory app), Britannica Trivia Challenge, Green Charging and more.
[Via ET]
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