The Androider

We’re not sure how long AT&T has been offering their dedicated Android landing page, but it’s new to us.  The carrier has created a min-site designed to not only pimp their handsets, but also to explain what Android is and why it’s just so awesome.  A cursory glance shows existing phones (Motorola Backflip, HTC Aria), forthcoming devices (Dell Aero), and a FAQ list to answer your burning Android questions.  Of particular note is the second question: Why can’t apps be installed from sources outside of the Android Market?

Surprisingly, the answer AT&T gives doesn’t actually come across as a bunch of hooey.  The short version is that they want to hold developers accountable for their apps and they trust the community at large.

…AT&T selected Android Market as the exclusive source for applications because it forces developers to be accountable for the apps they submit. If the Android community has issues with an app, the app can be flagged and removed. This minimizes the risk of malicious apps harming customers and provides more protection to the customer’s private data stored on the phone.

Okay, we’ll buy that.  But we still don’t 100% like it.

Thanks for the tip, Jeremy!