Amazon To Allow Purchases From Android Appstore Prior To Device Ownership
Did you know that Amazon will soon be launching their very own App Store for Android? It's true. Soon, Android users will have access to the standard Android Market (ran by Google) and the Amazon Appstore for Android (ran by Amazon). Why does Amazon need their own app store? The reasons are numerous and complicated, but the primary reason is that they already have a massive customer base, and a base with credit cards already on file. And since they already sell so many Android devices (tablets, e-readers, phones, etc.), there's a big opportunity to also sell apps to those customers.
In fact, developers who submit their apps to the Amazon Appstore will benefit majorly from one thing in particular: their apps will start to show up on search results. So, for example, if a customer searches for something camera-related, and you have a camera FAQ app, your app will show up in the results. With millions searching on Amazon each day, that creates a huge potential pool of customers. The other interesting thing about this new store is that people can buy apps separate from the device, and even before they own an Android device.
Let's say you want to buy an Android tablet at Amazon. The company will also make app recommendations at checkout, and you can purchase them at the same time if you please. Then, once your device arrives, it'll sync those apps over right onto the tablet. Amazon will have both a free and paid section, but unlike Apple's model, Amazon will set the prices of the apps in their store. That's a move that's sure to cause some friction, but if it doesn't pan out, they could always switch to a system like Apple. Child's play, you know?
In fact, developers who submit their apps to the Amazon Appstore will benefit majorly from one thing in particular: their apps will start to show up on search results. So, for example, if a customer searches for something camera-related, and you have a camera FAQ app, your app will show up in the results. With millions searching on Amazon each day, that creates a huge potential pool of customers. The other interesting thing about this new store is that people can buy apps separate from the device, and even before they own an Android device.
Let's say you want to buy an Android tablet at Amazon. The company will also make app recommendations at checkout, and you can purchase them at the same time if you please. Then, once your device arrives, it'll sync those apps over right onto the tablet. Amazon will have both a free and paid section, but unlike Apple's model, Amazon will set the prices of the apps in their store. That's a move that's sure to cause some friction, but if it doesn't pan out, they could always switch to a system like Apple. Child's play, you know?
