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Amazon.com’s Android activities continue to attract the attention of us media types, as the company quietly offered customers who buy an Android smartphone or tablet from Verizon Wireless a $25 credit to buy Android apps.
On Friday I reported that Amazon was offering the HTC ThunderBolt for $129.99 through Monday, ideally to help Verizon make room for the Samsung Droid Charge and other 4G smartphones.
When you go to buy the phone, you see the $25 offer in fine print on this Webpage:
Note the promotional code will be sent via email within five days of shipment of the device and is valid through Dec. 31.
That’s so Amazon — leveraging the existing ecosystem to lure customers to its products and services. It’s not unlike the $5 credits Amazon.com offers to Amazon Instant Video for consumers who buy enough stuff online.
Not only should this help Verizon sell more phones, but it should steer more folks to its fledgling Appstore, away from Google’s Android Market.
Those who follow my work on eWEEK.com know I’ve been doggedly pursuing the Amazon Android tablet meme.
How can we not? It’s exciting to talk about potentially potent alternatives to the iPad and Xoom.
Between the phone promotions with carriers, the Android Appstore and the tablet we all know is coming but Amazon won’t cop to, it’s becoming increasingly clear Amazon is looking to be a more major digital content platform player.
This is exciting to me because this is largely happening in mobile and the cloud, and it’s great for Google and Apple to have a third horse pushing them to innovate.