Following in the footsteps of Apple, which enabled the feature in iOS back in June 2009, Google's Android will be getting in-app purchases next week.

This means that Android app developers will be able to charge users for goods and services from within the app, which opens up new, lucrative sources of income. One iOS-based study showed that in-app purchases yield more revenue than mobile ads, with average monthly revenue per user being close to $8, compared to roughly $1 of revenue per user from advertising.

Developers will be able to upload apps during the test development phase, but they won't be able to publish them until the full launch of the feature, which is slated to happen next week.





