Phoload – New App Store

PholoadPhoload is a new JAVA ME “App Store” along the lines of GetJar.com.  In fact, it’s organized very similarly to GetJar. There’s a full web version (phoload.com) with a categorized, searchable directory of games and applications that can be filtered to only include apps compatible with your device.  Applications and game listings include a screenshot, description and user reviews and ratings. All files can be downloaded to your PC for side loading. Or you can make note of a six digit “download code” and enter it on the mobile site for a direct to mobile download.  Registered users can also add titles to a “Quick Download List” which makes them appear on the mobile site’s front page.

All downloads are free, the applications and games themselves are mostly freeware or ad supported but some are trials and demos.  The type of each download (free full version, free ad-supported or trial/demo) is clearly indicated in each listing on Phoload.

The mobile version of the site  (m.phoload.com) has a mobile formatted version of the same searchable, categorized directory of apps and individual pages for each app with screenshot, description and rating.  There is also  download by code feature and, for registered users, their “Quick Download List”, a “vault” containing applications and games they have  tagged on the full web site.

I like Phoload, the site is nicely designed, has a Ready.mobi score of four and good mobile usability.   Phoload competes directly with GetJar, a site with almost identical features (everything except the”Quick Download List”) and usability and probably 10 times the content.  I don’t think I’d choose Phoload over Getjar if I was looking for something specific, but for  browsing Phoload has hundreds of interesting games and applications to choose from.

Update: I received an email from Jamie at Phoload who pointed out several additional features of the site:
“Phoload has a ‘Developer Page’ for each developer which gives full details about the developer and showcases all of their software in one place. It also has a multi-level menu with sub-categories (which aids usability imo), ‘Share’ functionality, and the site remembers your phone when you log back in.”

Mobile Linkm.phoload.com

Ratings: Content: ***__ Usability: XXXX_

Filed in: Mobile Site Directory – Technology/Mobile/Downloads

Related Post: Free Mobile Java Games and Applications

6 thoughts on “Phoload – New App Store

  1. Pingback: Phoload opens free Symbian ‘app store’

  2. @jbpseudo. Thanks for your comments. At the moment we only offer J2ME software on the website, but we are adding support for the other platforms in the next few months. So, that will further increase the size of the catalogue.

  3. Yes. Its just Opera Mini. I can access the site via other browsers i’ve got.
    Coming to the site(full version), i like the neatness of the site and that there is less garbage. Looks good to the eye. I dont have to search for the original content! Yes, the site is well organised. I only wish there were as much content available as in getjar. I know thats gonna take time. Good luck Phoload!

  4. It slowly seems to be coming back. I can access Phoload through my ATT DSL account and the native browsers on phones on ATT and Nextel but still not with Opera Mini.

    DNS and IP changes are a real pain. I had to move one of my sites to a new server and new IP a week ago and my traffic dropped to 35% of former levels. After a week it’s still only at 50%.

  5. @Jbpseudo

    The nameservers we use at our domain host went down yesterday so we migrated to new nameservers. I believe the nameserver changes should have propagated to most places by now. But, this will be why you cannot see the site. Hopefully the DNS changes will have fully propagated by the time you check again.

    PS: Thanks for the review Dennis.

  6. I am getting ‘could not locate remote server’ for both versions of the site. Will try again later.

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