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Amazon in price war with Google over Android apps

Summary: Amazon has announced that it is planning to launch its very own Android App store. And AndroidNews got a sneak peek at the, as yet, unlaunched store and uncovered evidence that Amazon is planning to engage in a price war with Google's Android Market.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

Amazon has announced that it is planning to launch its very own Android App store. And AndroidNews got a sneak peek at the, as yet, unlaunched store and uncovered evidence that Amazon is planning to engage in a price war with Google's Android Market.

It seems that there will be some bargains to be had. For example, Scan2PDF Mobile 2.0, which costs $6.44 in the Android Market, will sell for $3.99 at Amazon's App store. Farm Frenzy costs $3.21 in the market is $2.99 at Amazon, and Akinator, which is $2.06 from Google is $1.49 in the Amazon store.

Amazon also has some exclusives, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Force Recon ($2.99), Brainwave Tuner ($3.99) and, as I posted about the other day, Angry Birds Rio.

So, what do you think? Will a price war be good for consumers, or bad for developers?

Topics: Android, Amazon, Google

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51 comments
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  • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

    I Think It's Great : For Apple! It Proves What Steve Said, Their Market Is "Fragmented"
    Macterryh
    Reply Vote

    • Wow, well, the car market is fragmented too. Look at all the different

      models and manufacturers to chose from. How terrible to have a choice of cars.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Macterryh Steve Lies and you guys believe him!
      slickjim
      Reply Vote

    • "Multiple places to get apps" = "Fragmentation"

      So saith Macterryh.

      Good thing there aren't multiple places to get Mac and Windows apps. Wouldn't want there to be fragmentation on those fronts.

      Sheesh.
      daboochmeister
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

        @Macterryh Steve Lies and you guys believe him! <a href="http://www.ashwooduniversity.net/ashwood/online-degrees/distance-education.asp">Online Education</a>
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        jordanhawk
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Macterryh
      I love to bash Google with the best of 'em, and for sure, fragmentation is a major problem with Android. But *this* kind of fragmentation? No, this is called choice.

      Go Amazon. May your market find it's way to others' platforms, too.
      x I'm tc
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Macterryh

      Yes, we certainly wouldn't want to see Apple product prices any lower as a result of a free market.
      Carl_H
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Macterryh Android may be fragmented, but it is also open, it gives choices for which version to use, allows the buyer to save money by getting device with a lesser version - There is nothing available with iOS for under $200; Apple puts so many restrictions and controls on their products that they resemble a "Socialist" business. So your choices are "Socialist Computing" or FREEDOM!!!
      TabletPCPro
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

        @TabletPCPro iPhone 3GS is $50.
        MajorlyCool
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Macterryh If that's fragmentation, than would not the fact I can buy a Macintosh or iPad in either Best Buy or the Apple Store indicate that the Mac and iOS are also fragmented? After all, that's all we're talking about here: a choice of retail outlets for the same product.

      That should be considered a good thing. It has absolutely nothing to do with fragmentation... but everything to with competition. When I buy any normal product, I shop around for the best deal, perhaps crossed against resellers I've had good business with in the past. Every one, except iOS: you buy from Apple, or you don't buy. That's not just restrictive, it's downright un-American.

      "Fragmentation" is a straw man put up by any Apple fan boi as the only argument they've come up with against Android. With over 90% of all Android devices on OS 2.x, this is a silly argument. And in fact, if that's fragmentation, then Apple's got it worse... there are far more iOS devices out there that can never upgrade to iOS 4.
      Hazydave
      Reply Vote

  • For an app to appeal to a true-blue fandroid....

    it has to be FREE (as in $0.00). Google takes a loss on Android (and the store), but makes it up on the targeted ads they sell as a result of sucking people in to use Android and other Google freebies. My guess is that the Amazon app store will be a money-loser, and will not last for very long.
    Userama
    Reply Vote

    • Users are more than willing to pay for some applications. In app

      advertising is also another way for developers to monetize applications.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • Turning off 'net before playing...

        @DonnieBoy

        A good trick to get around in-game ads that are *very* annoying... If you're not an online game, in-game ads that are obtained via the internet can be stopped simply by turning off the wifi/data connections. :P
        shryko
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Userama You would be wrong about that!
      slickjim
      Reply Vote

    • I've paid for plenty of Android apps, mostly games from Gameloft....

      @Userama

      ...if a app is worth paying for I'll buy it. I usually look for "lite" version to test out first, then buy the full fledged one later. For example Twydroid has both free & paid versions, I tried the free version, liked it, bought the paid version.

      The fact there are plenty of quality free apps is an added bonus!
      DevJonny
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @Userama

      Are you trying to compete with Loverock Davison for the title, "world's silliest troll"?

      Amazon is no fly-by-night company. They have extensive experience in online sales and marketing, which gives them a lot of staying power in this market they are entering. It will last, and it will not be a "money loser". Not when so many developers are fed up with Google's failure to manage the Google Android market.
      mejohnsn
      Reply Vote

  • Great to have competition so that no one entity can can censor and control,

    and set prices. But, eventually, Google should just get out of selling applications and let 3rd parties like Amazon do it. <br><br>A big thanks to Google for allowing an open market place for Android applications.
    DonnieBoy
    Reply Vote

    • Yeah. Thanks, Google, for the great job of data mining you do.

      @DonnieBoy
      By the way, DB, it's "censor", not "sensor". Glad to be of service.
      Userama
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Amazon in price war with Google over Android aspps

      @DonnieBoy
      This is not new. With Palm and Windows Mobile we had this for the past two decades. There were so many stores like PocketGear, Handango, freewarePocketpc etc. Now the biggies are into fray to get information of the users. glad to know it.
      Ram U
      Reply Vote

    • At the slow rate at which Google apps are dowloaded

      @DonnieBoy
      it appears that the market has made that decission for them
      Tim Cook
      Reply Vote
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