Amazon has launched its Amazon Appstore Developer Program, an odd attempt to grab some of the Android app scene for itself. Developers are able to register for the service right now, with the retail giant waiving the $99 annual fee for this first wave of app makers to join.
Seems a bit of a silly move to us, as things that exist outside of the standard Android Market don’t get anything like the same amount of publicity as those launched via the official Google channel. But anyway, it’s coming, like it or not.
Link via TechCrunch, which describes Amazon’s move as “disruptive”. That’s a nice way of putting it.
It’s smooth to use, the 1080p display is sharp, clear and bright, the device is extremely light and thin and therefore very pocketable and portable — much more so than other 5-inch phones we’ve used. And yet… we’re a bit unimpressed by the overall package…
A relatively high-spec smartphone, with a 4.5″ display running at 480 x 854 resolution and powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, plus the Ascend G510 arrives running Android 4.1.1 — albeit potentially hindered by Huawei only sticking 512MB of RAM inside it..
The Panasonic Eluga marks the company’s return to the European mobile phone scene years after several years of absence, and it’s come back to us with a moderately high-spec Android model that features a rather stylish, slim case.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
MrChaz
/ January 5, 2011Consider the visibility of having your app on the front page of Amazon.co.uk
Gary C
/ January 5, 2011Suppose it depends how easy it is to get the apps on your telephone once you’ve paid for ‘em.
MrChaz
/ January 5, 2011Yeah, they already have an MP3 store app and one for Kindle. I guess they’ll make some kind of unified thing
Gary C
/ January 5, 2011I’ve been using the Kindle Android app. It’s surprisingly good, despite Amazon’s clunky web interface.
MarkG
/ January 5, 2011Well, I registered, I have several pay apps on the Marketplace already that make me a significant amount of cash, but I won’t be paying $99 next year. However I might as well get a free year out of it.
Nick
/ January 5, 2011I think its a great idea (when it comes to UK) purely for the reason I will be able to purchase apps through my Amazon account and this should (hopefully) stop the overseas transaction charge my bank charges me every time I use the app store