Melbourne, Australia — It seems that Apple retail stores are in for some tough competition from the fun-sounding creation from Google and Telstra: Welcome to Androidland! The Android army eventually has a retail store to call home — in Melbourne, Australia.
Android, which is escalating with an incredible rate, is getting better with every release, and being installed on more devices every day. Global search engine behemoth Google and Australian mobile telecommunications company Telstra opened the first ever brick-and-mortar Android-themed storefront in Melbourne last week, a move to consolidate the Android brand and associated devices under one big, wide, Googly roof. So now, prepare for indoctrination.
Androidland, is a store within a store was unveiled at Telstra’s retail outlet in Bourke St, Melbourne, where it is impressively spread on the 154 square metre space which unwraps interactive technology dedicated to Android phones and tablets, games and on-site experts to explain the features of Google’s Android OS.
Australian carrier Telstra conceived and engineered the shop in collaboration with Google, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, “Androidland” demonstrates the many different devices that run Google’s operating system in a fun, Android-themed environment. They have been working on it since July.
Certainly to be fair, the abundant of options has not hampered Google’s struggle for mobile dominance. Currently, there are more than 200 million activated Android devices worldwide, with more than 550,000 new activations occurring each day.
Also, four major smartphone manufacturers — Samsung, LG, Motorola and HTC — have so far supplied hundreds of Android devices over the past three years. The Android platform is the current leader in mobile marketspace, surpassing former leaders RIM and Apple in a relatively short time.
It is possible that the Australian market opening could serve as a testing ground for Google. Also, if the Androidland project kicks off well, it would make sense for the company to expand its storefront presence to other more popular markets like Japan, Europe and, of course, the United States.
However, it is not clear whether Androidland will be a permanent installation in Telstra’s flagship Melbourne store. But for now, if happen to in the area, you will find it at 246 Bourke Street, open seven days a week.
The first Android retail store in Melbourne, Australia. Photos courtesy of Google
And rather than merely hawking the devices, unlike Apple’s retail stores, with their clean, minimal designs, Androidland strives for sensory overload with special displays and gaming kiosks that informs potential buyers about how Android works, and what devices may be best for them.
Surely, it all sounds identical to Apple’s retail storefront strategy, an initiative that was severely criticized earlier but quickly proved successful.
Executive Director of Telstra Mobile, Warwick Bray, stated that its the first time a mobile carrier had partnered with Google to create an Android-dedicated retail presence. He added:
Over the past 12 months we have seen a huge growth in the number of customers coming in-store and asking us about Android phones and tablets. With Androidland we wanted to create a retail environment like no other that helps us to answer customer questions in a fun, interactive way. The result is a world-first collaboration that goes beyond conventional product displays by allowing visitors to get hands on with a range of popular mobile services and apps found on Android devices.
For Google, however, Androidland is not just about direct sales. Because Google’s Android OS is a free and open source platform, and multiple manufacturers fasten the software to their devices. For this reason, this first storefront will most likely serve to reduce brand and device confusion among customers.
The video embedded below shows Androidland, as it has been dubbed. Androidland not only sounds like an amazing place to visit by name alone, but includes Google-coached Android experts which are there to help consumers set up Google account, make recommendations on popular Android Market apps, and help with customizing Android-powered home-screens.
“I do not think anyone envisage major revenue from the retail channel, but it is becoming a necessity,” said Gartner mobile analyst Phillip Redman in an interview. “With a vast number of phones, tablets and net books running Android, as well as the partner support, it makes sense.”
In fact, Google clearly wanted to do things differently than Apple. And the company has certainly managed that. Besides, Androidland also has an interactive spaceship zone which allows visitors pilot the Google Earth app on the giant screen, play Angry Birds on the big interactive screen, or create an Android avatar that can be printed or shared.
Certainly to be fair, the abundant of options has not hampered Google’s struggle for mobile dominance. Currently, there are more than 200 million activated Android devices worldwide, with more than 550,000 new activations occurring each day.
Also, four major smartphone manufacturers — Samsung, LG, Motorola and HTC — have so far supplied hundreds of Android devices over the past three years. The Android platform is the current leader in mobile marketspace, surpassing former leaders RIM and Apple in a relatively short time.
It is possible that the Australian market opening could serve as a testing ground for Google. Also, if the Androidland project kicks off well, it would make sense for the company to expand its storefront presence to other more popular markets like Japan, Europe and, of course, the United States.
However, it is not clear whether Androidland will be a permanent installation in Telstra’s flagship Melbourne store. But for now, if happen to in the area, you will find it at 246 Bourke Street, open seven days a week.
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