

Rumor: Amazon has an “entire family” of Android devices coming this holiday - Raphael
http://androidandme.com/2011/05/news/rumor-amazon-has-an-entire-family-of-android-devices-coming-this-holiday/

======
rst
At this point, particularly after creating their own app store, it would be
more of a surprise if Amazon _didn't_ have at least one Android gizmo in the
works, if not a whole series.

What's not clear is whether it's going to be the full Android experience,
including Google's closed-source apps (Maps, Gmail, and most important, the
Market), or whether it will be more like the Nook Color --- core android
without the closed Google apps, plus Amazon's own app store only. (In which
case, you'd need to publish to Amazon's app store, and let Amazon arbitrarily
cut the price and your royalty, in order to get anything on these devices.)

The rumor-level info that Google's involved in the project could be taken as a
hint that Amazon's not planning to go so completely their own way... but only
that.

~~~
Qz
_and most important, the Market_

Erm, how is that the most important? Amazon has their own market now, and
honestly I trust Amazon to make a better marketplace than Google.

~~~
dantheman
Amazon's android market has some seriously onerous terms. Here's the IDGA's
take on it: [http://igdaboard.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/important-
advisory...](http://igdaboard.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/important-advisory-
about-amazon%E2%80%99s-appstore-distribution-terms-2/)

------
snotrockets
Like any good conspiracy theory, this starts valid (Amazon to build Android
devices) and ends misinformed (Fringe Field Switching isn't e-ink, but
"normal" LCD) and out of sync with reality (Mirasol isn't ready for prime time
yet.)

------
enjo
Amazon has a design aesthetic that I really like. It also fits really well
with what Android is doing. The sheer amount of engineering talent that a
Google/Amazon partnership would create is astounding.

------
cageface
If this is true this might be the breaking point for the iOS Kindle app. It's
not hard for me to imagine that an Amazon Android tablet will push Apple to
boot the Kindle off their platform.

~~~
cstross
_It's not hard for me to imagine that an Amazon Android tablet will push Apple
to boot the Kindle off their platform._

That whooshing noise is a DoJ v. Apple anti-trust case on final approach in 3
... 2 ... 1 ...

I find it hard to imagine a more overt anti-competitive act than booting an
app from your app store because the vendor starts selling a different product
that might undercut your company store. And while the DoJ has been remarkably
supine in pursuing anti-trust cases since the Clinton administration, Apple's
relentless rise in the CE sector has got to have been alarming their rivals.

[ EDIT: Which is to say, I believe such a move would cross the line from
business hardball into monopolistic practices at which point politics comes
into play. ]

~~~
cageface
All they have to do to kick Kindle off is enforce their recent policy of
requiring all downloadable content to also be available through in-app
purchasing at a 30% fee. At the moment the Kindle app appears to be enjoying
the protection of an unwritten grandfather clause.

 _If_ this does happen I hope it does attract some anti-trust scrutiny.

------
Jun8
The art that really piqued my interest was the possibility of an Amazon set
top box. That makes total sense with their movie rental service and connecting
with the other devices.

------
jcampbell1
I've heard some have mirasol screens. E-ink like reading experience, but full
color and video capable.

------
brianbreslin
Would love to see an iPod touch competitor or an unlocked android phone I can
use for dev/testing

