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Topic: Amazon

Google Play launched, feeling the Amazon squeeze

Summary: The Amazon Kindle Fire with its competing Appstore has pushed the launch of Google Play.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

Google surprised a few folks today when it rolled up the Android Market, Google Books, Google Music, and Google video store into one service. Google Play isn't fully integrating all of these services on Android devices yet, but the online experience pulls it all together. While it makes sense that Google should roll these entertainment features into one shop, make no mistake that this is a direct reaction to the threat Google feels from the Kindle Fire.

See also: Google Play: Google's ultimate answer to Amazon and Apple

Amazon opened its Appstore last year in preparation for the launch of its tablet, the Kindle Fire. Sales of the Kindle Fire have it already becoming the top Android tablet on the market, and Amazon's two-pronged strategy of store + tablet are hitting Google's Android hard.

The Google Play move smacks of a reaction to the Amazon threat, by rolling all of the separate services into one more meaningful effort. Don't believe Google Play has anything to do with the Amazon Appstore and Kindle Fire? Click on the image above and look at new discount deals that Google unrolled with Google Play. Look familiar?

See also:

Topics: Amazon, Google

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18 comments
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  • Genius writing again Kendrick

    Hey genius can you please tell me the difference between the "android market" and google "play store"?

    That's right there is not a difference

    Try again with your analysis you couldn't be more off.
    Lavan123
    Reply Vote

    • According to Google

      There MUST be a difference...
      athynz
      Reply Vote

      • No there is not

        The difference is that google wants to separate google's media service from android. Google is trying to tell consumers that you don't need an android phone to buy stuff from google.

        If this idiot took a second to analyze he would come to the same conclusion.
        Lavan123
        Reply Vote

      • According to Google

        there is no difference.

        But it does separate it from the Android brand, and will enable them to bring it to Desktop, potentially to other hardware, such as the PS3 or the WII, minus the apps.
        Knowles2
        Reply Vote

    • It's totally different online

      And they've stated the individual apps on Android will be changed soon too.
      JamesKendrick
      Reply Vote

      • No its not

        Tell me one new thing you can't do on the old market, that you can do in this new play store?

        Its a name change only genius, and its not for the reasons you stated.
        Lavan123
        Reply Vote

    • Huh?

      @Lavan123 It isn't targeted at anything but Android. It is mostly a more catchy name and probablymakes it harder to remove features from store.

      On the XOOM the movies were right in the market, on other tablets, they aren't even included.
      slickjim
      Reply Vote

      • That true, for now

        But you can bet your bottom dollar that Google plan to bring this to other platforms in the future.
        Knowles2
        Reply Vote

    • fdsd

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      jywhy888
      Reply Vote

  • It's a rebranding of the content.

    Expect a google tablet device called "Google Play", that will combine chrome and the store with all the content. Amazingly Amazon beat them on their own strategy by a good 6 months.
    topgun22
    Reply Vote

    • Yes a re-branding away from android

      This "play store" does nothing except moves google's media products away from the android brand name.
      Lavan123
      Reply Vote

  • Poland...

    Wonderful to see Poland f-d up in the ear again. Notification about rebranding mentions books, music and videos, which are of course not available in here. Thank you for treating us like a 3rd world country.
    jrusinek
    Reply Vote

    • It also

      mention that content would vary by country and area.
      Knowles2
      Reply Vote

  • Great Move!

    Awesome move by Google! Offering a consolidated store will give them the ability to beat Amazon and Apple at their own game! Amazon tried to steal Android from Google but now Google has the ammunition to beat Amazon and surpass the abomination that is iTunes .
    ArgyleBandit
    Reply Vote

    • Google has already lost to Amazon.

      When Amazon's Androidish tablet already represents the same market share of true Android tablets, Google has already lost. Google's Music service has been a market failure while Amazon's music service is the #2 digital music service on the planet. It will take Google 10 years and 10's of billions of dollars to even come close to Apple's and Amazon content offerings.
      Bruizer
      Reply Vote

      • Billions

        Doubtful. In fact I doubt Google will spend anything like tens billions, most of the content deals are already in place for music and Film, in the UK Youtube already has a wide selection of TV content.

        Google will have to spend tens of millions to continually developed the UI and features. An perhaps a few billion over the next few years to acquire content, which should pay for itself. An perhaps a bit of money on advertising it, but it nowhere near ready for advertising, an even then Google plenty of ways to advertise it at a fairly cheap rates, youtube for example, it needs to get content to more countries on board first, and better integration, like merging its chrome store in to Google Play.

        Tens of billions is a massive exaggeration, billions at the most, if that.
        Knowles2
        Reply Vote

    • Dreams.

      iTunes have close to 70% share, and Amazon's in second place by a distance with around 13%. Amazon have been trying to challenge Apple for years with its Amazon web Store that anyone could access. Even getting special favorable "deals" from the record labels and still only 13% share. I don't expect Google to do any better with music and videos than say what a Microsoft did with their Zune, against iTunes. Which was pretty much no competition.

      iTunes and Amazon also already have the brand association with music, media and content, Google still have a mountain to climb there. I just don't see how Google could compete on the same level. Changing the branding after 3 years doesn't exactly help either.??
      dave95.
      Reply Vote

  • Great for Android!

    It's competition that makes Android the best, mostly widely used smartphone OS, like this with Amazon and Google Play. There's also great competition among Android hardware makers. You can even just bypass the markets all together, and just download your Android program from a developer's website. I've done that with my Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Like the most popular desktop and laptop OS, Windows, there's no restriction on where to get programs. My son just got a Windows gaming machine that he built himself. One of the reasons I've stay away from Apple is all the restrictions that Apple has. It's like having a chain around your neck.
    DG1970
    Reply Vote
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