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In another move from Amazon that I’m just absolutely loving right now, they’ve introduced a feature that’ll allow you to “test drive” several applications on their Android Appstore before you take the plunge and buy it. It emulates an Android app (as well as other parts of the OS) and gives you the usual host of buttons found on the front of an Android phone. Your mouse is used to “touch” the screen to perform various actions. (There is obviously no accelerometer emulation.)
There are only about 20 games and apps on the appstore with this functionality including Amazon MP3, IMDB, Paper Toss, Kindle, and more. It’s a great new feature that I hope to see implemented for other new releases on their appstore. Amazon was met with a bit of resistance when they told everyone they were making an appstore, but the things they’re doing with it that are different from the Android market and other app stores will slowly turn doubters into believers. Go ahead and try out one of the titles at their site now. [via Engadget]
With android, you really need to be able to test it on your device.
I agree, with all of the different hardwares, you don’t want to go buying an app that is not optimized or compatible with your phone. This is especially true with the Market’s 15 minutes return policy. Amazon App store seems much more interesting now.
Android Market or GTFO
Agreed.
Does anyone know if there is any kind of return period with the Amazon app store? If so, I will be using it for all my paid apps as the 15 minute policy on the Android Market is just about worthless to me.
No return period. While test drive is interesting, due to so many device compatibility issues I’d have to sadly agree that it needs to be tested on the device first.
Virtual Android Phone = awesome. It’s pretty legit, except for the current lack of a keyboard.
There’s way too many things that Amazon needs to improve with the Appstore app, including lettings us know what kind of changes were made each time an app gets updated.
they also need to show permissions before you try. I sent them a feedback about that
Also, if you have flash, you can have an Android phone within an Android phone.
Hey I’m watching me on Android!
Hey I’m watching me watching me on Android!
Great I’m on Android…
Now let’s blow some $hit up.
I love the fact that they offer a free app each day. But at the same time, they charge for quite a few apps that are free on the Market. So it’s a love/hate relationship. :)
They just keep improving great job on their part funny thing is I was just talking about a way to test before buy and then this lol
I tried the Test Drive, Its ok. It didnt register my clicks good. I guess it will get better as time goes by.
And I agree, these apps really need to be tested on phones. But still its nice to be able to even test it before you buy it tho.
Of course letting you “test drive” an app is an easy feature to offer, when even the free apps refuse to function unless you’re currently logged in to the amazon store.
Not even close to replacing the 24 hour return policy that we used to have.
Looks like they’re no longer sticking to just one free app a day. This morning it was Farm Frenzy, but when I checked an hour ago, the free app had changed to Newsweek. I don’t know if FF is still free or not.
Looks like I’ll be checking several times a day now. Great.
This is a pathetic substitute for a proper return policy. But I guess until Amazon stops giving away the free daily apps, it’s worth having on your phone just to leech off.
If compatibility weren’t such a huge issue on Android, I would think the web emulated preview would be adequate.