Software:Androidland

From HandWiki
Short description: Android retail store
Android's "green robot"

Androidland was an Android-themed pop-up store, created by the carrier Telstra in collaboration with Google, on Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia , in December 2011.[1][2]

The store was themed heavily in green, featuring several Android "green robot" sculptures. In the store, Telstra provided visitors with an interactive spaceship zone that featured a flight simulator (via the Google Earth software, a Liquid Galaxy set-up[3]), and also included a massive screen on which visitors could play Angry Birds. It further featured scented areas with gingerbread and grass aromas, called "Android grass",[3] to further immerse visitors.

History

Androidland had been in development since July 2011.[4][5] Google Australia helped to train the store's Android experts to be able to assist visitors with their current devices, help them with their new ones and recommend apps to install.[6]

Warwick Bray, the Executive Director of Telstra Mobile, stated, "Over the past 12 months we've seen a huge growth in the number of customers coming in-store and asking us about Android phones and tablets. With Androidland we wanted to create a retail environment like no other that helps us to answer customer questions in a fun, interactive way."[7]

In October 2013, Spice Group announced a partnership with Google to set up 50 AndroidLand stores in India along with 100 smaller versions of the stores as AndroidLand mini stores.[8]

Reception

Logan Booker, writing for Gizmodo Australia wrote, "It's a friendly environment, definitely, and if I were to make the switch to Android, I’d be sure to stop by to aid in my decision-making. The interesting fusion of business with an "experience" beyond product demonstrations gives the shop-within-a-shop a corporate Powerhouse Museum feel."[3]

The Telstra press release stated Androidland was a temporary installation but also noted the possibility of the installation expanding through other Telstra stores in Australia based on customer feedback.[7]

References

  1. "Meet Androidland: Australia opens "world-first" Android store in Melbourne". Apcmag.com. http://apcmag.com/meet-androidland-australia-opens-world-first-android-store-in-melbourne.htm. 
  2. McGrath, Lachlan (2011-12-02). "Androidland opens in Melbourne". https://australia.googleblog.com/2011/12/androidland-opens-in-melbourne.html. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Booker, Logan (2011-12-05). "A Walk Through Telstra's Android Wonderland". https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/12/a-walk-through-telstras-android-wonderland/. 
  4. Welch, Chris (2011-12-04). "Androidland: Telstra and Google open dedicated store in Melbourne". https://www.theverge.com/2011/12/4/2610372/androidland-telstra-google-open-store-melbourne. 
  5. Kennemer, Quentyn (2011-12-02). "Telstra Tests "Androidland" – The First Ever Android Store [Video"]. https://phandroid.com/2011/12/02/telstra-tests-androidland-the-first-ever-android-store-video/. 
  6. Brian, Matt (2011-12-02). "Telstra Opens Androidland, The World's First Android Store". https://thenextweb.com/news/welcome-to-androidland-australias-and-the-worlds-first-android-store. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Telstra launches world-first Android store in Melbourne - Media Announcement – About Telstra". Telstra (Press release). 2011-12-02. Archived from the original on 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  8. Aulakh, Gulveen (9 October 2013). "Spice Group plans to roll out 100 AndroidLand Mini stores in 18 months". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/spice-group-plans-to-roll-out-100-androidland-mini-stores-in-18-months/articleshow/23827129.cms.