Amazon Bribes Developers with Coins
posted Saturday Jun 21, 2014 by Scott Ertz
One of the early issues with Android was its massive fragmentation. New versions of the operating system were coming out so frequently that every device seemed to have its own version. This caused a giant gap in the number and types of apps that each device could download. Fortunately for Google they have solved this problem.
Kind of. Now, instead of there being multiple versions of Android in the market, there are multiple operating systems based on Android in the market. While Android, Nokia X and Fire OS are all based on the same platform, the app catalogs are very different. Each publisher has to resubmit their app to each app store, each with their own unique requirements.
So, how does a company differentiate itself against the other Androids, especially to developers? The answer is usually cash. In a move similar to BlackBerry, Amazon is offering developers up to $5,000 per app to create their applications natively for Fire OS, but there's a few caveats.
First, the application must take advantage of the unique features of the Fire Phone. For example, instead of using swipe or a hamburger menu icon to create multiple displays, use Dynamic Perspective. Also, you must use the carousel widget to qualify.
Our second caveat is the fact that you will be paid in Amazon coins, not straight cash. The idea is that the developer will then gift those coins to their application's users. You could use the coins to create a marketing campaign or to reward loyal users of your program.
Getting applications on a new platform is difficult. Unfortunately, this scheme has not worked in the past for other companies. If it had, perhaps BlackBerry would not have lost its number 3 position in the market. With Amazon, however, results do not always align with reason. Only time will tell if Amazon can convince developers to take advantage of the unique aspects of their phone.
Are you considering purchasing a Fire Phone? If so, how important is the application catalog to your decision? Would a lack of custom-feature applications change your mind? Let us know in the comments.
