amazon app storeThe Android App store at Amazon is a good alternative to Google’s own Android market for several reasons.
Amazon frequently has deals in place where you can download premium Android apps either for free or at a discount, their app store is nicely integrated with the Amazon.com website and, best of all, you can test drive apps in the browser without having to buy them.
The Android App store was earlier available to customers in the United States only but that restriction is no longer in place. You can now download Android apps from the Amazon store in India and possibly other international countries as well.
To get started, open the following URL – amazon.com/appstorelanding – in the mobile browser of your Android phone. This should download the Amazon Appstore app on your phone and you can then log in using your existing Amazon.com to start shopping.
I tried downloading a free app, a paid app and a premium is available for free today and all three transactions went through without a hitch. Once you have installed the Amazon App on your Android phone, you can also start shopping from the Amazon’s online store and your purchases will auto-download the next time you launch the Android app.
The only downside is that the test-drive feature for Android apps on Amazon.com is still not live for international users. Thank you Shantanu Goel for the tip.
[*] Google has a 15-minute refund policy for Android Market.
Update: The Appstore is no longer available in India or any other internation country. Amazon Support didn’t specify a reason for pulling down the app but did say that “we value our international customers and hope to make the Amazon Appstore for Android available internationally in the future.”