Android Market update: support for priced applications

However, if you don't want to wait and see what they do, maybe you just need a partner in the US who can set up an Android Market account and pass you the money ? It would work best for you if you had a relative you could trust in the US, they could set up the account and give you the password, and you would work everything from there, and when the money hit the US person's account you would have them transfer it by whatever means were most convient.

If you don't have such a person, maybe ask here on YC and see if you can find someone who would be willing to do it, and sign a contract to deliver the money.

If you don't mind telling us, what is your app and what feature does it use that stops it from running on the iPhone ?

Not to mention there is no "official Google hardware." The T-Mobile G1's are produced by HTC, and are simply the first Android platform to hit the market. There are multiple other manufacturers looking at, or already planning devices based on the Android platform.

As for being "open", it's always still a problem of device makers and carriers insisting on digital restrictions of user freedoms, such as not allowing unsigned firmware to boot on the device. But as far as everything else goes, Android is by far the most "open" platform available for consumer grade devices as we know them.

Note that as an owner of a Neo FreeRunner, I don't yet consider it a consumer-ready device; hence the reason I have purchased myself a G1, as it is the next-best alternative until Openmoko, or some other group, can get their acts together and actually release a worthwhile mobile distribution.