How Will Amazon's App Store Compare To Rivals?

A recent leak at Amazon.com has many people wondering if Amazon will undercut the Android Market with its new app store. Not long ago, Amazon's upcoming app store was leaked to the Internet. Although it wasn't working to the point that you could purchase apps, a German Android site was able to see some of the apps the store will offer as well as its prices.

Through this leak, the alleged store appeared to have some overlap with Google's Android Market. It also showed several places where Amazon was cheaper than Google for some apps. However, the difference wasn’t exactly jaw-dropping and isn't likely to cause throngs of people to abandon the Android Marketplace. As you may recall, Amazon used a similar, lower price structure when it introduced its MP3 store to rival iTunes.

To help set the store apart, Amazon is said to be lining up exclusive apps including a game called Call of Duty: Force Recon. Amazon also has a deal with Rovio Mobile to carry the upcoming Angry Birds Rio exclusively.

Although Amazon seems to have some tricks up its sleeve that should help it compete against the Android Marketplace, it still has plenty of challenges to overcome as well. One of these challenges includes the fact that AT&T doesn't allow sideloading of apps on its Android phones. Amazon can likely get around this by providing files that can be downloaded and installed via your computer, but it's certainly not as nice as getting the app directly on the phone.