As the launch of the first handset based on Google's Android platform draws nearer, the company has unveiled Android's equivalent of the iPhone App Store.

It's called Android Market, and the name is apparently important. "We chose the term "market" rather than "store" because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available," says a post on Google's official Android blog.

Check the screenshots above for a glimpse at the Android Market UI. It'll have a YouTube-style user feedback and rating system, and Google says that uploading games and applications to the Market will be as easy as YouTube too:

"Content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it. We also intend to provide developers with a useful dashboard and analytics to help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings."

However, there are some worrying aspects too, particularly the fact that Android Market won't be fully ready for the launch of the first Android handsets, so they'll ship with a beta version instead.

"Some decisions are still being made, but at a minimum you can expect support for free (unpaid) applications. Soon after launch an update will be provided that supports download of paid content and more features such as versioning, multiple device profile support, analytics, etc."

There's no details on how much of a revenue share Google will take from apps sold in the Android Market (if, indeed, it'll take any share at all).