There have been a number of attempts to create an all you can eat app style store front that gave users a monthly payment option to get and have paid titles. I remember Amazon tried, or still offers, something similar where you can try apps at least before you buy them. Now it would appear as though Amazon is working on another some sort of service called Amazon Unlocked. Digging through the details about the leaked images with the branding has turned up quite a lot of information.
It would appear that developers can take part in the Unlocked program as a way to boost downloads and awareness for the app. Consumers would be able to grab the app for free, along with all the in-app content they can handle, for free as well. However, if the developer leaves the Unlocked program the in-app purchases return. This would give consumers plenty of time to get sucked into and app and then, potentially, be greeted with a real money payment later. Figure 50,000 people install an app and then the freebies drop, some percentage of those people will spend real money to keep going forward.
The source of the information didn’t allure to there being a premium cost associated to having access to Amazon Unlocked or when it might possibly go live. If anything, I would imagine they might roll it into Amazon Prime subscriptions. Although, I could see it being its own service entirely that could be free or require a smaller yearly upfront payment. I can’t imagine it not releasing soon if a full set of slides to present have been created showing how it works. Then again, it could be a purposeful leak to gauge the reactions online before Amazon does anything at all.
It is clear that the Amazon Appstore app, which is needed to install an app or game anyways, will give you a clear indicator that a certain app is “Unlocked” while also promoting other content to users. You kind of need the Appstore installed to install anything any ways.
At the end of the day, it is all about getting more people involved with the Amazon Appstore for Android. More visitors and people looking at things will often lead to more purchases. If this rolls under Prime subscriptions it could give would be users a little more value to subscribe. Especially since Amazon Prime Now is expanding and recently landed in Miami and Baltimore. We will have to wait and see what Amazon has planned for this little nugget in the future.
Source: TC Via Lilliputing
