Google is leaving no stone unturned in expanding Android's reach. Recently, the search engine giant released its latest version of Android (KitKat), keeping majority of devices in mind. And, this time, it has released App Translation Service, which will aid developers in translating their Android apps in myriad of languages in no time.
Google's App Translation Service was first introduced in the I/O developer conference in May, but was previewed by a handful of developers who participated in the pilot program. Now every developer can have access to the service and can build their user base in a variety of languages.
"Every day, more than 1.5 million new Android phones and tablets around the world are turned on for the first time," Ellie Powers of Google Play team wrote in a blog post. "Each newly activated Android device is an opportunity for you as a developer to gain a new user, but frequently, that user speaks a different language from you."
However, unlike most of the Google services, this is not free. The App Translation Service will be a premium affair and developers have to pay to get their apps translated into their choice of language. The cost will vary from $75 to $150, based on the size of the app.
The pilot program for App Translation Service has been doing pretty well in the past. "We were happy to see that many developers expressed interest in the App Translation Service pilot program, and it has been well received by those who have participated so far, with many repeat customers," wrote Ellie.
Of the 1.5 million Android devices activated daily, majority of them are sold in countries where English is not the primary language.
It is advised that developers should take a look of localization checklist. Google can also provide useful recommendations for appropriate language which it selects based on the number of installs and regions.
