Android Market to be Updated for Extra European Localization

An e-mail recently went out to Android application developers involved with the Market detailing some updates coming mid-January.

Many of you have asked about international expansion plans. I’m happy to inform you that Android Market will become available to users to download apps in additional European countries starting early Q1 2009. Some of the countries we will initially support are Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. As we add support for additional countries in Europe and Asia, we will send out subsequent notifications to you. In mid-January, we will update the Android Market publisher website to enable country targeting. Please start thinking about which countries you want to target and begin preparing your products accordingly (e.g., localization). Note that your apps will not become available in these new countries unless you specifically select them in the publisher website, after we update it.

Great news for all of those Android handsets… in… Europe? Wait, does Europe have any Android phones? The HKC Pearl is landing in Asia, Qigi’s got one in the works for China, Australia has the Kogan Agora, but what about Europe? Okay, the UK has the G1, but is that really it? Maybe this letter portents a big European push in Q1 ‘09. Some would certainly agree…

[via TalkAndroid]