Amazon remembers it has an Android app store, kills it
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/02/amazon-remembers-it-has-an-android-app-store-kills-it/Open linkView original on lemm.ee206
Comments24https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/02/amazon-remembers-it-has-an-android-app-store-kills-it/Open linkView original on lemm.ee
I used that briefly 10+ years ago when I got a Fire Stick for like $5. I even installed it on one of my phones back then, since they had a lot of app giveaways and I was dumb.
It was basically "Google Play but worse". Like the Epic Games Store is to Steam.
But there is now an Epic Store for phones, so it can be bad on two platforms instead of one.
TBH I wish Steam had a mobile store. There are some games which exist on PC and Android, having cross buy and cross save between versions would be cool.
Honestly with how shit google play store has become. Epic actually has a good chance to act as a platform for paid game/ported games.
There's still a small handful of apks I use that I have from the Amazon apk store. I'ma be pretty bummed if they stop working. The apks check the Amazon apk store to keep being used. At least I never spent money on them. Just free coins and apk giveaways.
They likely prefer a hands off approach to marketplace content and that won't really work with a smartphone app store (even with a gaming only focus).
10 years ago they used to give away good free games, but the app updates were always 2 releases behind.
And now, most apps have been abandoned, but I still have a bunch of free games I'm going to miss.
It is probably because they are creating their own Linux FireTV OS, moving off Android. Amazon and Google have always been at odds. It is the reason Amazon created their crappy App Store, because Google would not allow their app in their store. I think Amazon is further distancing itself from Google.
Is there any information on what they mean by a "Linux based OS", like is it going to be "Linux" Linux or is it just going to be similar to android/ChromeOS? I've read a few articles about it but outside of it being called "Vega", I can't find any other information about it.
Oh like the guy from Street Fighter 2 with the wolverine claws
Let's be real, nothing Amazon makes would be as cool as that guy.
It's gonna be degoogled android. No source.
Degoogled and upamazon'd. Don't expect a Foss-friendly environment, just a different flavor of enshittification. Also no source
What was it called? Something creative like "My Amazon Apps" ?
There was a whole thing with Apple having a hissy fit about the name. In court Apple actually said this:
Very creative!
I almost guessed Amazon Fire Store
"Too abstract. People might be upset that we don't sell actual fire."
It'll be super topical though on about 15 years when they burn the last few acres of the Amazon rainforest to make room for condo buildings
"Here on the corner is the convenience store. We call it the Amazon Fire Store, lol. And because there is no more fertile soil it doesn't sell anything."
Huh, apparently I've picked up a few free Android games over the years, may as well take this opportunity to actually install and play them before they maybe disappear forever
I used to play minecraft and geometry dash via the amazon appstore, the apps come with drm.
The one premium game I found seems to run fine with network permission blocked so I guess it's developer-dependent