Amazon has made a habit out of giving away Android applications on its AppStore in massive bundles. The company is planning to take a slightly different tack going forward with a new app called Unlocked that will give Android users the ability to download apps for free, according to a report by TechCrunch.
The report, which is based on a leaked internal presentation, shows an app that offers users apps for free that they would normally have to pay for, similar to the company’s existing promotions. There’s a wrinkle, though: Amazon will also pay for the in-app purchases made in free apps included in the Unlocked program, something that no other app store does.
People will also be able to search for Unlocked apps to install through the main Amazon app – the interface sketches shown put an “Unlocked” banner over their icons to denote the apps’ special status.
This program seems like a classic move from Amazon. The company is no stranger to offering deep discounts in order to drive user adoption, and this one seems very similar to something like its offerings through Amazon Prime. If it helps draw people to the company’s AppStore, it could be a significant boost to Amazon’s hardware business.
Amazon’s Fire tablets and smartphone don’t have access to Google’s Play Store, the largest marketplace for Android apps, since they don’t run a stock version of Android. While the App Store has more than 400,000 apps as of the last time Amazon announced those statistics, the company is still way behind the Play Store’s 1.2 million apps. That lack of selection is a significant drawback to people who are considering a purchase of Amazon hardware.
It’s not yet clear when Unlocked will be released, or how much of a hit it will be, but it’s a clear sign that Amazon is playing the long game for the Android market.
A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
