Amazon Appstore Finally Coming to Europe This Summer

Reports had claimed that the Amazon Appstore was on its way to Europe this summer, and now Amazon itself has confirmed that Android users on the other side of the Atlantic will finally get a proper Google Play alternative in the coming months.

Users in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain will see the Appstore first, but Amazon has plans for “further global expansion in the near future.” The retail giant is now inviting developers to visit the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal and submit their applications for these countries.

Amazon notes in its press release that the Appstore now offers tens of thousands of apps and games in the United States, despite being up and running for just one year. The company believes that nifty features like 1-Click purchasing and Test Drive — which allows customers to try apps before they decide to buy them — are a few of the reasons why the Appstore is popular amongst both consumers and developers.

It’s going to become even more popular for developers, too, thanks to Amazon’s new distribution terms. The company has finally agreed to pay developers 70% of the list price for each and every app they sell from July 1.

Under its previous terms, Amazon would pay 70% of the sale price and only 20% of the list price — whichever was greater. The problem with this, of course, is that sometimes the company would discount apps without a developer’s permission — which it does reserve the right to do — meaning that developer would earn a lot less than originally intended.

The new 70% cut provides Appstore developers with the same deal Apple offers to Mac and iOS developers who sell their software via the Mac App Store, and the App Store.

Are you looking forward to getting the Amazon Appstore in Europe?