I’ve avoided the new Amazon app store since it launched in March solely because I couldn’t be bothered to deal with a new marketplace on my mobile phone. But after learning from Dave’s tweet this morning about today’s free Peggle app, I decided to give it a shot. Turns out, the whole process of getting access to Amazon apps is remarkably simple. After I punched in my cell number on the Peggle app screen on my computer, Amazon sent me a text message link for the app store download. The one hitch was telling my phone to accept downloads from an “unknown source,” but that was quickly rectified in the settings menu. Then once I signed in to my Amazon account, I was ready for Peggle.
Amazon can make a go of its third-party app store on mobile phones precisely because so many consumers already have Amazon accounts. Like the Android-based Amazon MP3 app I’ve had for a while, the Amazon app store makes paying for new stuff extremely easy. Once you’re signed in, new purchases are a single click away – just like with the embedded Apple and Android app stores. And of course, with an Amazon tablet on the way, it won’t be long before the ecommerce giant can do some embedding of its own.
As for Peggle itself on my new phone, I’m still in the testing stages, but so far the interface seems to work well, even on the small screen. You can aim with your thumb on a virtual scroll wheel and shoot with a tap on the ball icon. The graphics are satisfying, and the app is responsive. Plus, it’s free today! How can you go wrong?
