The problem with allowing users to download apps from anywhere is there is no centralized way to bill customers for their purchases. So if you ever did run across a paid Android app (is there such a thing) that you needed, you had to whip out your wallet and enter your CC information using the tiny phone keyboard – Swipe or not, that can get tired real quick.

The Android Market and AT&T has stepped their game up and announced the availability of AT&T Direct Carrier Billing for Android users on the AT&T network. AT&T Android users can now easily charge their Android Market purchases to their monthly accounts with only a few clicks.

From the Android developer’s blog:

We strongly believe carrier billing is a great way to make it easy for users to purchase and pay for applications. In addition to the availability of AT&T and T-Mobile US carrier billing, we’ll continue to partner with more carriers to offer carrier billing options for their subscribers.

This is especially advantageous for Google because it could solidify The Android Market as the sole location for apps in the minds of users, if they can purchase and download apps easier than from any other location. That in turn could give Google more resources to, I dunno, create an actual online Android Market where users can view, learn more about, and send apps to their phones from their big computer/laptop monitors?

*Just a suggestion*