It has emerged that Amazon Appstore, a new third-party application marketplace from retail giant Amazon, is to be made available on a variety of different mobile operating systems, extending beyond Google’s Android platform shortly after launch.
Aaron Rubenson, Category Leader for the Amazon Appstore, spoke to Mobile-Device, answering questions about what Amazon is planning to do with its alternative app marketplace and offering insights into what countries will be first to see it launch.
When asked about the platforms that would support Amazon Appstore, Rubenson said:
Our goal is to provide a vast selection to customers from multiple operating systems. Although the store will feature Android apps at launch, we will evaluate opportunities to expand our selection on an ongoing basis.
The Amazon leader also indicated that the Appstore would launch initially in the US, rolling out to other regions shortly after. Rubenson’s words were that the Android Appstore “will launch soon”, tallying up with a tweet by MillenialMedia earlier in the week that suggested the platform would launch at the end of March.
Amazon’s new Android application will tie-in nicely with its existing retail website, suggesting applications for devices that are purchased online. Both free and paid apps will be available, but Amazon will oversee the pricing structures, requiring developers to submit a recommended retail price that can then be raised or dropped if the retailer sees fit.
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