Android releasing and app into the market hmm

Question

I am nearly done with my first android app and there's still a bit more work to do but I want to get feedback from users about what they like/hate/bugs to fix, etc. I plan on making the app free with ads. Now I have been testing my app on my phone (HTC Magic) and plan on doing some simple testing on the emulator using different configurations. Would it be a good idea to release the app as being beta as it is now? And then fix up any issues and implement the full features I want in it later on and re-release it? I don't want the beta ratings to hurt the final version so would I'm guessing I simply release it as a new app instead of an update to the beta?

Also If I was to release the beta should I be releasing it with or without ads?

I would love to hear your experience with your apps!

Thanks

Answer 1

In this kind of situations, that's exactly what you can try to do: release a beta version of your app so that the bugs don't hurt your rating on the Market. What I prefer to do in this kind of cases:

• Don't add Ads. After all, it's just to be a testing experiment. Not too many people is going to download your app.
• Offer a bounty for people who discover bugs. For example, you can give a free fully functional copy of your app to the people who helped you find bugs.
• Use a Log system for Android that automatically send you reports of your app.
• Try to make sure your app will be tested on different devices with different screen sizes, configurations, etc.

Once you have fixed bugs and done the appropriate modifications you can go ahead and share your app with the whole world.