Samsung to launch mobile app store for developers

Samsung will launch its Application Seller Site on 30 July

Samsung is to launch an online application store for developers and content providers looking to connect with mobile device end users.

The firm said that the store will offer content for the Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems, and that developers will be given access to a large and hungry user base for a nominal $1 (61p) fee.

"We launched a Samsung Mobile Applications store beta service in January in the UK and have been collaborating with developers and content providers through Samsung Mobile Innovator, a developer programme for Symbian, Windows Mobile and Java from October 2008," said Kanghyun Kwon, vice president of Samsung's content service team.

"With the launch of Samsung's Application Seller Site, we can complete the total ecosystem for better, easier and more exciting mobile experiences ranging from compelling mobile phones to content and applications.

"We are aiming to achieve a win-win business model for end users, mobile operators and industry influencers, such as developers and content providers."

The site launches on 30 July. Samsung said that billing, contract and sales information will all be carried out online, and that it will filter all applications through its backend system before making them available.

The service is mostly aimed at users in the UK and Germany, who are expected to pay with either a PayPal account or by credit card. Currently available apps range from social networking tools to file management systems and mobile browsers.

Samsung will add to the service over the course of this year, and will launch a much fuller European-wide official apps store by the third quarter.

Mobile apps stores are proving very popular, not least on the iPhone platform. Apple recently announced that 1.5 billion apps had been downloaded in its first year of business.