Amazon has not officially announced when it will launch its mobile app store, but it will be soon. The company has been taking steps to do so since January when it opened its Amazon Appstore Developer Portal. Several developers have already submitted apps, said an Amazon spokeswoman, which Amazon is currently vetting for quality. Amazon has also created a developer blog and Twitter account with tips on how to market apps. YouTube videos also detail how to submit apps to the Amazon online store.
The mobile app store will start by carrying Android-based apps, a move that puts Amazon in direct competition with Google's Android Marketplace. End users will be able to buy apps from Amazon’s store, integrated within its site, on computers as well as Android-based smart phones and tablets. Consumers, who will be able to purchase apps using their existing Amazon accounts, will also receive recommendations for related items as they currently do on Amazon.
Amazon will take a 30 percent share of every app sold through its Appstore, which will launch first in the United States and eventually in international markets.
