Android’s App Store For Pornography, MiKandi, Adds Support For Paid Applications

Yes, as Steve Jobs likes to point out, Android has at least one third-party App Store that is dedicated to pornography and other ‘adult’ content. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with Google — it’s made by a company called MiKandi (NSFW). And while it draws plenty of snickering and sneers from the Apple faithful, it capitalizes on a fact of life: a lot of people watch porn. And some of them are willing to pay for it.

Today, MiKandi has released a new version of its adult app store. The company says that it’s been rebuilt from the ground up, and it also includes one major new feature: support for paid applications. Previously MiKandi apps have been free; now developers will be able to generate revenue through a channel other than advertising.

Instead of selling applications individually (and conducting a different transaction for each app) MiKandi is selling a virtual currency that can be used to purchase premium apps. This means that charges can be consolidated under one innocuous-sounding item on a credit card statement, and it also lets MiKandi take advantage of an ‘Offers’ system similar to the ones have been so successful on Facebook. At this point there are no Offers available, but MiKandi says they are coming soon.

Yes, I’m sure some of you are shaking your heads, but remember that there are plenty of premium porn sites on the web, and their ubiquity seems to indicate that they’re making money. Combine that with the impulsive buying mentality driven by the iPhone’s App Store and Android Market, and it’s not hard to imagine that some of these apps could do pretty well for themselves. And MiKandi has 300,000 installs so far, which isn’t anything to scoff at.

If you are eager to give the new MiKandi for a spin, you’ll need to install it from their website (it isn’t in Android Market for obvious reasons). You can get an idea of what the store looks like in the video below, which does not contain nudity but may still be considered NSFW.

Reference: Android’s App Store For Pornography, MiKandi, Adds Support For Paid Applications