A bunch of Android apps, including hits like Minecraft, Swiftkey and SoundCloud, are for the moment priced at 10 cents each. It’s not clear why these apps are so heavily discounted–it could be a glitch, or a yet-to-be-announced promotion–but you better act fast if you want to save some serious cash
Here’s the whole list, thanks to Android Central:
Great Little War Game
SketchBook Mobile
Paper Camera
Sound Hound
Asphalt 6
Fieldrunners HD
SwiftKey
Minecraft
Endomondo Sports Tracker Pro
Color & Draw for Kids
Even if you don’t have your Android phone or tablet handy, you can make your purchases from the Android Market links above, and remotely download the apps to your device.
MOD EDIT: REMOVED LINK
criticalmass24 said:
A bunch of Android apps, including hits like Minecraft, Swiftkey and SoundCloud, are for the moment priced at 10 cents each. It’s not clear why these apps are so heavily discounted–it could be a glitch, or a yet-to-be-announced promotion–but you better act fast if you want to save some serious cash
Here’s the whole list, thanks to Android Central:
Great Little War Game
SketchBook Mobile
Paper Camera
Sound Hound
Asphalt 6
Fieldrunners HD
SwiftKey
Minecraft
Endomondo Sports Tracker Pro
Color & Draw for Kids
Even if you don’t have your Android phone or tablet handy, you can make your purchases from the Android Market links above, and remotely download the apps to your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android market is terrible for processing payments. I tried and tried to buy a couple and it says they were purchased but won't install due to some error with the payment processing.
It's because of the ten billionth download.
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk
MartyLK said:
The Android market is terrible for processing payments. I tried and tried to buy a couple and it says they were purchased but won't install due to some error with the payment processing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same error but they downloaded eventually. As long as you get a purchase confirmation by email, you're good to go.
Bzow said:
I had the same error but they downloaded eventually. As long as you get a purchase confirmation by email, you're good to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My CC was expired. Emails said to update it and I did. But even with the valid CC, payment was rejected. I went to look and make sure I had some money in my account, which I did. All of the efforts at trying to buy the apps some how messed up the system I suppose. Still can't buy them. I can buy from WP7 market or Apple market just fine, though.
Very nice of them. Hope they change the discounted apps these days as i would by some. Tomorrow i'm going to the bank to put some money on CC.
.
Thread moved. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
When buying several of the apps on discount I ended up having 1 transaction go through, but the others declined.
It turns out my Bank blocks multiple transactions for the same amount within a 5 minute window. It's a security measure, though it's a bit excessive for values < $1 and even if transactions have different descriptions.
It's Google celebrating 10 billion downloads on Android Market. Check out their blog pot: http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-billion-android-market-downloads-and.html. That applications are available at discounted price only for today. During the next 9 days, there will be other apps at the same price, for one day only.
On my personal experience, my first two checkout were processed immediately, but the later two delayed for a while. I did some things in my office for about10 minutes and when I checked my phone it had downloaded both applications.
This is like steam sale, yay.
Yeeha, that's real great. So I have to watch the Steam sales + the Android sales!
OMG, I LOVES SALES And for 10 cents you do not even need to feel bad if you purchased something you do not even need
Anyone out there who found out when the apps will be changing each day, or which timezone it's based on?
---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:59 PM ----------
Ok, here is a leaked info about the next apps:
Beautiful Widgets
Fruit Ninja
Reckless Racing
Star Chart
Read It Later Pro
Christmas HD
AirSync by doubleTwist
Flick Golf!
Two are missing by now, but the rest seems to be already available.
Have fun :-D
For several of10-cent apps I purchased, I have since then gotten cancellation emails. I wonder whether the problems stems from my credit card denying some of the charges.
Here an example. I had purchased this app yesterday afternoon, but I got the cancellation email this morning:
Hello ...,
Your order has been canceled and you have not been charged.
Reason: Other (describe below)
Comments: We could not complete your order in a timely fashion. Your order has been automatically canceled. Please retry your purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do I still show yesterdays apps?
Bought a lot of these myself
Let's hope they put up those Adobe apps that have been released these days.
Overcharged USD1 instead of USD 0.1
I bought Shiftkey X and i’m charged USD 1.0 + USD 0.1 but when I was going to buy this, it was showing as Rs. 5.15. I'm from India.
Can anyone please explain me this
Maybe it's a fee your bank is charging you for the internet transaction. If bought 5 apps and got charged PEN 1.68, which is approximately correct.
Guys this is a little off-topic but i'd like to ask you something. I haven't had any Android phone yet so i have none linked to my Gmail account. I will be getting my first Android phone soon (Galaxy Nexus) and i want to take advantage of this sale.
Is there any way to buy these apps without having a phone linked to your account? Can't i just buy them and they can stand in my apps list and i download them when i get the phone?
Thanks in advance.
oskay.demir said:
Guys this is a little off-topic but i'd like to ask you something. I haven't had any Android phone yet so i have none linked to my Gmail account. I will be getting my first Android phone soon (Galaxy Nexus) and i want to take advantage of this sale.
Is there any way to buy these apps without having a phone linked to your account? Can't i just buy them and they can stand in my apps list and i download them when i get the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. But you could briefly add your Google account to someone else's Android device, get one free app just to make sure the Market go it, then delete the account from the device again. Thereafter you will be able to purchase all apps you want directly from market.android.com using any web browser without a phone.
YEEES. Nice offer !
I would be embarrassed if I were google. I have a few apps showing purchased, but then when I click to install it indicates I have not paid/am not authorized.
I have also tried a few cards, and keep getting some purchases bouncing back with the below - any ideas?
Your order has been canceled and you have not been charged.
Reason: Other (describe below)
Comments: We could not complete your order in a timely fashion. Your order has been automatically canceled. Please retry your purchase.
Convenient timing given the sales are one day only. I bet it will conveniently work after it ends.
Related
Just got this from Google. Called them 100% legit!!
This is a genius Idea to get us all developing for 2.0!!
Subject: Device Seeding Program for Top Android Market Developers
From: [email protected]
Due to your contribution to the success of Android Market, we would like to present you with a brand new Android device as part of our developer device seeding program. You are receiving this message because you're one of the top developers in Android Market with one or more of your applications having a 3.5 star or higher rating and more than 5,000 unique downloads.
In order to receive this device, you must click through to this site, read the terms and conditions of the offer and fill out the registration form to give us your current mailing address so that we can ship your device.
You will receive either a Verizon Droid by Motorola or a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in the US will receive either a Droid or Nexus one, based on random distribution. Developers from Canada, EU, and the EEA states (Norway, Lichtenstein), Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore will receive a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in countries not listed above will not receive a phone since these phones are not certified to be used in other countries.
We hope that you will enjoy your new device and continue to build more insanely popular apps for Android!
Thanks,
Eric Chu
Android Mobile Platform
Google, Inc.
1600 Amphitheater Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
NOTE: You have received this mandatory email to notify you about an important update to the status of your Android account.
wow thats awesome news. congrats.
makes me want to learn to write some apps for android.
good job!
I think this program is FAKE!!!
take a look at the discussion on android-developers google group.
sorry but i can't post outsite links because i am a new user!
------------
update: it's not fake, sorry!
That is indeed awesome. If I could program, I'd be all over this like hackers on an open port.
...also, if I lived somewhere that the N1 was sold
Android Market Seeding
They gave around 5000 G1 phones to developers last year so it could be true!
we will know soon if it is true or not.
Google has already confirmed this is legit!
I hope I get a nexus !!!
Nice surprise. I've been afraid it's a fake as well. And as member of the EU I'll get a Nexus. Cool, a 2nd Milestone wouldn't have helped that much...
Thanks to all those who pushed my player way over the required limit (so far over 23000 downloads and 4.37 stars) and to Google (someone "bribing" me can't be evil, right ).
I wonder how many devices will be given. AFAIK there are about 20,000 to 30,000 apps in market (are there any up to date numbers?), but some from the same developer and some 1-2 star crap, so my guess would be between 5,000 and 10,000. Anybody has a database to look up better details?
btw: Could somebody move this thread to one of the non-device dependant forums? If at all, it should be in N1 or Droid development forums...
No fake:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/02/google-handing-out-free-nexus-ones-and-droids-to-top-android-devs/
Mort said:
I wonder how many devices will be given. AFAIK there are about 20,000 to 30,000 apps in market (are there any up to date numbers?), but some from the same developer and some 1-2 star crap, so my guess would be between 5,000 and 10,000. Anybody has a database to look up better details?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, AndroidPIT has a database to look up exactly what you asked for:
This is the form:
www - dot - androidpit - dot - com/en/android/market/apps/selection/form
(Sorry - having just signed up for this forum, I am not allowed to post a real URL here)
Unfortunately, you can only select "from 3 stars" or "from 4 stars". Here are the results:
3+ stars and 5.000+ downloads: 4,108 apps
4+ stars and 5.000+ downloads: 2,350 apps
Taking the average, approximately 3,229 apps should qualify for the device seeding program.
There exists 31673 programs in Market. 17.6 % of these have over 5000 downloads, that's 5574 programs. 60.1 % of all the programs have a rating over 4, and 12.8 % have a rating of 3. The programs that have many downloads probably have a bit better rating than the rest. Let's say that about 70 % of the programs have a rating over 3.5, so that's 3900 programs. In addition, many developers have more than one program, so I guess there's about 1000-3000 developers that qualify to this.
Nexus One costs $174.15 in parts, so that means that google is handing out mobiles worth between $174 150 and $522 450. In Android Developer Challenge 2 they handed out prizes with a total value of $2 000 000.
Stats to program downloads, stats to program ratings, source for price of Nexus One in parts.
post deleted
Well, it seems to have been confirmed by Google. The TechCrunch article is a nice bit of help too. I'm a true skeptic but after reading everything I could on the subject, I played the odds and filled out the form. I figure if it somehow turns out to be fake (I'm assuming Google would have removed the site by now), any information I posted on the form is public anyway (nothing that can't be found in a phone book and in the WHOIS database). Like I've told others, according to game theory, it's a no-lose/win situation. Nothing can happen from filling out the form and I may actually get a nice phone out of the deal. A Droid would suck since I have TMO. I have a Nexus but I'm greedy and want two. I'll know in 2-4 weeks. Otherwise, nice prank.
AndroidAppCritic said:
Well, it seems to have been confirmed by Google. The TechCrunch article is a nice bit of help too. I'm a true skeptic but after reading everything I could on the subject, I played the odds and filled out the form. I figure if it somehow turns out to be fake (I'm assuming Google would have removed the site by now), any information I posted on the form is public anyway (nothing that can't be found in a phone book and in the WHOIS database). Like I've told others, according to game theory, it's a no-lose/win situation. Nothing can happen from filling out the form and I may actually get a nice phone out of the deal. A Droid would suck since I have TMO. I have a Nexus but I'm greedy and want two. I'll know in 2-4 weeks. Otherwise, nice prank.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no need to be a skeptic!
http://hydtechblog.com/2010/03/30/i-got-my-free-verizon-droid-thank-you-android-market-device-seeding-program/
trygveaa said:
There exists 31673 programs in Market. 17.6 % of these have over 5000 downloads, that's 5574 programs. 60.1 % of all the programs have a rating over 4, and 12.8 % have a rating of 3. The programs that have many downloads probably have a bit better rating than the rest. Let's say that about 70 % of the programs have a rating over 3.5, so that's 3900 programs. In addition, many developers have more than one program, so I guess there's about 1000-3000 developers that qualify to this.
Nexus One costs $174.15 in parts, so that means that google is handing out mobiles worth between $174 150 and $522 450. In Android Developer Challenge 2 they handed out prizes with a total value of $2 000 000.
Stats to program downloads, stats to program ratings, source for price of Nexus One in parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It costs HTC that much to make the phone and I'm sure they'd still want to be making a profit on them. Google would definitely have to pay more than that.
smaskell said:
It costs HTC that much to make the phone and I'm sure they'd still want to be making a profit on them. Google would definitely have to pay more than that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone bother to factor in R&D? I'm positive that that brings the cost over $175.
Any idea as to what happened to Twin Blades?how come its no longer in market place. thanks
http://www.wpcentral.com/twin-blades-pulled-marketplace
Going the way of Apple, eh? but luckily Apple changed, hence the advent of great games like Resident Evil and Dead Space
its a disappointment indeed. im also wondering as to why they need to take out twin blades from market place because of the mature rating? not all kids can buy a device that is costly as windows phone, and to think most windows phone owners are matured enough to handle such content.
if this is the case, good and exciting games are being removed from circulation, i think i might as well stick with my wii. too bad wii doesnt have phone integration lol.
thanks for the info
slighmd said:
Going the way of Apple, eh? but luckily Apple changed, hence the advent of great games like Resident Evil and Dead Space
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah they changed alright, hence the requirement for all apps that use external subscription (Kindle, B&N, Rhapsody..you name it) to instead go through in-app purchases, giving Apple a nice 30% cut. That's right. They want 30% of Kindle's sales that go through iPhone.
I'd argue that a "Mature" rating from the ESRB is not the same as what Microsoft meant originally when referring to "Mature Content" in their Marketplace rules. There has to be some common sense about this stuff. Blood and gore is not the same as porn.
Damn
I bought the app months ago, but installed a new sd card. Does anyone know who I can contact about getting the game again or refund my money. Rather have the game, it was great to waste five or ten minutes.
Please keep things other than app releases OUT of WP7 Apps and Games, and please read the stickied rules at the top of each forum you are in.
~~Tito~~
It sucks, bit keep in mind kids can sometimes purchase this stuff without parental consent. Theonly way to prevent this from happening is to just not let it get on the marketplace. Google hs a no porn policy for Android market, ad well. I can name examples of apps that were pulled from well known entities, but I don't want to go there...
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express
I'm guessing it might have been less the blood and gore, and more the lesbian undertones of the cut scenes.
is there anyway of getting this back or a refund?
x0xwolverinex0x said:
is there anyway of getting this back or a refund?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for as know there are no refunds. I was able to find a copy on a site that goes against xda's policy.
One article was stating the dev my be out of business not a marketplace issue.
Never played it anyone got the xap?
you can still download it in private market place if you have a full unlock rom
Hi,
so today I reflashed my HTC 7 Mozart with an unbranded ROM and went to redownload all my apps. I doing so, I noticed that the game I paid for (Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst) is gone from the marketplace, nowhere to be found.
Just a heads up: if you own this game and want to keep it, don't reset your phone now
damn, i uninstalled it a week ago to try another rom and reinstall, is there any place were it can be downloaded?
according to this newspost, people who bought the game less than 60 days ago will get a refund:
http://wmpoweruser.com/crackdown-2-project-sunburst-removed-from-marketplace-may-stop-working-soon/
well, that's good luck for me, as I bought it 57 days ago... but it surely sucks, that they removed it. :/
Even if you have the game you cant play it now! it says the server cannot connect.
They should refund everyone if this is the case. I am not happy! I had no problems with the game and now I am out of pocket.
Yes, I feel sorry for everyone who has bought it more than 60 days ago. But if that's how the developer deals with bugs, I know whom to avoid now.
EDIT: I don't see why they can' put out a "final update" that does not need to connect to the servers...
Who is the actual developer for this game? I want to know who to file a formal complaint against.
the trial was working very good for me
i dont know what problems people had
i liked the game very much, the idea, the concept,
i was amazed when i noticed i was able to shoot the weapons myself
i really would like to know why its gone.
my bet is that not enough people brought it
and over time server cost became to high to keep it up.
i think its very sad.
maybe they should have code android and iphone versions too
i mean if its about the server cost.
i hope it wasnt micosoft, bing or us military who pulled of market.
loomx said:
Who is the actual developer for this game? I want to know who to file a formal complaint against.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, it's Microsoft Game Studios, apparently.
Localhorst86 said:
Yes, I feel sorry for everyone who has bought it more than 60 days ago. But if that's how the developer deals with bugs, I know whom to avoid now.
EDIT: I don't see why they can' put out a "final update" that does not need to connect to the servers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They won't update it, because it's not making enough money to be worth the effort..
Anyway;
Just realised Project Sunburst no longer works? Want your money back?
As of late July, Project Sunburst was removed from the WP7 Marketplace and the game seized to function (the game requires server connectivity to play)
Sources from some news websites stated that Microsoft made a statement saying those who purchased the game recently (within the past 60 days) could get a reimbursment.
I think that's wrong, i've paid for a game that can no longer function and that I cannot play.
So I tried to figure a way to get a reimbursement of my money (as I purchased the game in Dec 2010)
I couldn't get an ANSWER on the forums or from the XBL support team, so I searched the internet looking for a number for Windows Phone support (and damn, was it hard to find one for the UK)
I eventually found one 020 345 05855 (UK London based number)
After making it through the robots I eventually got to someone who helped me, he said at first that I have the game, I don't need a reimbursement, but then I stated that the game requires server connectivity to be playable and he reimbursed the money I spent purchasing the game.
Hi! I'm Dylan, the xda intern :victory:
I'm doing some research on how devs monetize their apps. We're currently exploring ways to help you make more money from your apps and we'd like to find out about what you currently do. If you could please, please take this short survey, it would be much appreciated! We promise to keep everything confidential; in fact, the survey is anonymous.
Thanks again! :laugh:
~dylan
by ad?
by ad?
I use Google AdMob
---------- Post added at 01:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:46 PM ----------
I made my first game using Adobe flash for web, and after that ported it to Android, using Adobe AIR.
AdMob, In-App purchases, paid versions of free apps.
I'm using admob banner ads right now, but with only ~2500 active downloads I'm not making a lot of cash. ~5€/Month.
I hope my next app(60% done) will become more succesfull
My first goal is to earn ~100€/Month, so I could see some money on my bank account every month.
app add is so annoying :angel:
Why not offer APIs for apps? Or post blogs about it.. and hmmm... don't forget donations
Paid app
Paid app? Currently earning 200$ a month for more than 6 months now.
Adope flash
I always use Adope flash for the web, It is easy to use and recommend you to try.
Thanking
Thanks A lOT
Could you post the results of the survay?
mido2malik said:
Thanks A lOT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanking
Thank you so much for your thread.
If you decide to charge, settle on an appropriate price. For this, you'll need to consider the unique qualities of your app and its similarities to existing apps. If your app has a lot of competitors, you probably won't want to charge a lot for it or the customers will simply choose other apps over yours. On the other hand, if your app is very specialized and rather unique, it's likely that you'll be able to put a higher price on it.
APP Info
What app/apps are you pulling this kind of money in for? Please be specific(app names) I am currently looking at starting maybe my first app and wonder what types of apps are pulling in money. I love the idea of creating a paid app but most games are add profit only or in game purchases.
Kishant said:
Paid app? Currently earning 200$ a month for more than 6 months now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using in-app purchases in a live wallpaper app, so users can buy more themes. Been doing around $2 per day on average, since it was released (around 1 month ago). Not running to the Ferrari dealer yet...
yes i agree
svdree said:
I'm using in-app purchases in a live wallpaper app, so users can buy more themes. Been doing around $2 per day on average, since it was released (around 1 month ago). Not running to the Ferrari dealer yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i think the best way in android to make $ is to offer your app as free and have IAPs, or a premium full version(but that opens to pirated sideloads, heck ive seen mods of the IAPs in full sheesh)
gameloft and EA have moved to this model, Zynga made it very popular, just look at a hypothetical scenario
1,000 downloads.
1 dude spends $900 on IAPs
10 dudes $50 max
50 $20-50
70 $5-20
the 870 rest less than $5 or play for free and grind through but you made a good RIO on just one user, Ive seen people spend a sh*tton of $$ on freetoplay games, look at the high earners on the play store, most are *free* but have IAPs.
Thanks A LOT...
I've got an Idea......
IAP vs ads
Generally speaking, an app who is considered a quality app, with heavy usage, should lean towards IAP. Doing In App Purchases the right way is a form of art. Many decisions to make and price level to test.
If your app has low usage level, it might be better to monetize it by putting ads. Again, choosing the right network and the right locations (and ad units) to put.... well, there's a lot of work to do, in terms of optimization.
Any developer should be willing to test any of his chosen solution for a while, review results and optimize.
adsense for mob. -_-
I'm an app hoarder in a dilemma. I purchase many games and apps on my Galaxy s3, using the 'bill my carrier' option. However of course the Shield has no SIM slot, so I cannot do that. Nor does tethering with my mobile work as I had hoped, the shield treats it as a typical Wifi network.
What I end up having to do is purchase the app/game on my phone in the PlayStore, then through logging into the same account on my Shield, it then shows 'purchased' and I can download.
Further, for app/games with IAP's, I need to actually download the app on my s3, launch it, purchase, and hope it eventually sync's to my Shield.
One example would be The Walking Dead. A free title (for the first episode of the first season). I wanted to purchase the season pass so in addition to downloading the 1.37gb game on my Shield, I also had to download it k my s3. Launch the game. Purchase the season pass. 10 mins later it shows up as purchased on my Shield. Uninstall from s3. Oy dios mio.
As you can imagine this poses a problem, as many Shield games are not available on the s3. Also not all apps I see on the Play store on my s3, are supported on the shield. Infact I think I have two completely different PlayStores [while some apps show 'device not supported', others are just completely missing from the PlayStore].
How can I solve this monumental inconvenience? Please do not suggest piracy, I'm known to purchase apps solely to support indies. Unless it's a Whacktivision game, then post the apk immediately, pl0x.
CobraCommanderp said:
I'm an app hoarder in a dilemma. I purchase many games and apps on my Galaxy s3, using the 'bill my carrier' option. However of course the Shield has no SIM slot, so I cannot do that. Nor does tethering with my mobile work as I had hoped, the shield treats it as a typical Wifi network.
What I end up having to do is purchase the app/game on my phone in the PlayStore, then through logging into the same account on my Shield, it then shows 'purchased' and I can download.
Further, for app/games with IAP's, I need to actually download the app on my s3, launch it, purchase, and hope it eventually sync's to my Shield.
One example would be The Walking Dead. A free title (for the first episode of the first season). I wanted to purchase the season pass so in addition to downloading the 1.37gb game on my Shield, I also had to download it k my s3. Launch the game. Purchase the season pass. 10 mins later it shows up as purchased on my Shield. Uninstall from s3. Oy dios mio.
As you can imagine this poses a problem, as many Shield games are not available on the s3. Also not all apps I see on the Play store on my s3, are supported on the shield. Infact I think I have two completely different PlayStores [while some apps show 'device not supported', others are just completely missing from the PlayStore].
How can I solve this monumental inconvenience? Please do not suggest piracy, I'm known to purchase apps solely to support indies. Unless it's a Whacktivision game, then post the apk immediately, pl0x.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't you just buy game through the Playstore on the Shield using your Google wallet account? I buy a few apps on my phone this way and it get billed to my bank through my check card.
I also buy gems and other currency for some games this same way.
Hey yeah I have all available payment optioms except 'bill my carrier'. I do have a creditcard which I can attach to my google wallet but choose not to, nor do I want to go buy Play cards.
This is what I want a workaround for - to bill my carrier via my Shield.
Monumental inconvenience... hmm... you don't want to purchase Google Play cards, you don't want to use a credit card... Why are you so intent on carrier billing? You want your carrier to get more money (they get a pretty decent slice of each transaction you make)?
Sounds like you have someone who pays your phone bill and doesn't pay very close attention to the 'extra charges' section :silly:
I don't believe there is any way to accomplish what you are trying to do, as it would need to be a 'device' on the carrier's network for that feature to work. I'm unsure if a USB modem would enable the bill to carrier - but that device alone will cost a lot more than a bunch of apps.
Heh nice analysis, that's not the case at all. I'm not worried about my carrier making a slice, it doesn't cost me any sort of premium and I'm pretty sure the developers make the same.
Don't want to buy play cards as not only is there tax on them here in Canada, but a $2 app is actually $2.16. The idea of dead currency doesn't appeal to me. I pay my own bills, I require carrier billing for the reasons listed above.
Hopefully the Shield 2 comes with a sim slot, seems like a pretty lazy decision not to include one on an OS designed for mobile use.