Amazon Reportedly Planning Their Own Android App Market
Does the world have room for another App Store? We'll find out soon. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon is planning to launch their very own app store for Android-based devices. Amazon already sells eBook content through the Kindle, and while a few games have also emerged for Kindle, having a dedicated app store that would be available on a wide variety of Android phones and tablets would obviously benefit Amazon immensely.
Progressively, the company has been inching into becoming a software selling company, turning its physical distribution highlights into digital distribution tactics. Based on the report, if Amazon entered the market, it would seriously rival the Apple App Store and Google's own Android Market. Reportedly some developers have been told that Amazon wants a 30% cut of profits, with the developers keeping the rest. The 70/30 split is a familiar one; Apple uses the same formula.
One interesting twist in the documentation is that developers cannot sell any app in the Amazon Android Market for less elsewhere; though, we suspect they can still sell them elsewhere for the same amount. None of the companies are openly commenting on the rumors, but it's not likely that this is completely made up. There are too many circumstances that are turning into evidence.
The main question is "why?" Why would Amazon want to build their own app store? Maybe a new Kindle based on Android? Maybe a new hardware platform altogether? With tablets being all the rage, maybe Amazon's partnering with someone on an Amazon-branded slate? Hopefully we'll find out the truth soon enough.
Progressively, the company has been inching into becoming a software selling company, turning its physical distribution highlights into digital distribution tactics. Based on the report, if Amazon entered the market, it would seriously rival the Apple App Store and Google's own Android Market. Reportedly some developers have been told that Amazon wants a 30% cut of profits, with the developers keeping the rest. The 70/30 split is a familiar one; Apple uses the same formula.
One interesting twist in the documentation is that developers cannot sell any app in the Amazon Android Market for less elsewhere; though, we suspect they can still sell them elsewhere for the same amount. None of the companies are openly commenting on the rumors, but it's not likely that this is completely made up. There are too many circumstances that are turning into evidence.
The main question is "why?" Why would Amazon want to build their own app store? Maybe a new Kindle based on Android? Maybe a new hardware platform altogether? With tablets being all the rage, maybe Amazon's partnering with someone on an Amazon-branded slate? Hopefully we'll find out the truth soon enough.
