The Kindle Fire is not due to be released for a month yet, but Ama on has already updated its Android developer FAQ with information about developing apps for the Kindle Fire. As expected, the minimalist hardware and highly modified build of Android on the e-reader-tablet hybrid will present some interesting challenges for developers, and could also affect the user experience. There are no Google apps on the Fire, so this is Ama on’s show to run.
Part of the document instructs developers on how to set up their Android emulators to test apps for the Fire: 600×1024 display, 169 LCD density, API 10 and 512MB RAM. Aside from confirming that the Fire is built on Android 2.3.4, this means little to users. Although it’s nice to know that apps can easily be tested without a Fire on hand.
The Ama on Android Appstore has a few thousand apps at present. Before the Fire officially goes out the door, Ama on will be screening those apps for compatibility with theKindle Fire using an automated process. If a problem is detected, the developer will be contacted and allowed the opportunity to fix it. Ama on will review any changes made to an incompatible app in about a week.
Apps that don’t work correctly will not be exposed to Kindle Fire devices using the Appstore. This has to mean that Ama on will be doing some sort of filtering of apps, which is actually good to hear. At present, any phone can access any Ama on app, even those that it are unable to run because of hardware limitations. For users, this means a smaller, more curated selection of apps on the Fire.
Almost all the Google has been drained from Ama on’s Android build, so that means that apps will not be able to access Google mobile services like cloud-to-device push, data sync, and location services. Also, hardware like camera, Bluetooth, gyroscope, and GPS are missing and cannot be implemented by an app. Ama on specifies that if a developer’s app makes use of these features for full-featured Android phones, that the app must “degrade gracefully” when these features are activated on the Fire. Ama on suggests a message saying, “This feature is not currently available on this device.”
There are also a number of application types that Ama on says are a no-no for the Kindle Fire. Before even getting to the device guidelines, Ama on’s FAQ says that no wallpapers or themes that alter the home screen are permitted. This presumably also applies to home screen replacements. In a similar vein, no replacement keyboards, like Swype, will be allowed in the Appstore for the Fire.
Perhaps most concerning is Ama on’s decision to bar apps that use root access from the Kindle Fire. There are already a great number of root apps in the Appstore for Android phones, but apparently Ama on wants to discourage rooting on its tablet. We understand why; Ama on wants the Fire experience to remain as designed, because it has been designed to make Ama on money by pushing its services.
At the Kindle Fire launch event, Ama on reps were telling everyone that sideloading was going to be possible on the Fire, but it’s unclear if they meant app sideloading, or just digital media. If apps can be sideloaded, the restrictions on apps in the official Ama on Appstore are of little consequence; users will be able to manually install whatever apps they like.
The Kindle Fire is coming in at such a spectacular price point that it is sure to be a hit with Android modders, much like the Nook Color was last holiday season. Even if Ama on seeks to lock the device down and prevent sideloading of apps, the community is likely to find a way around that, and even port stock Android ROMs to the device. The user will have options, they just might not be the most convenient.
What Ama on’s strict Kindle Fire app guidelines mean for users
0 comments:
Post a Comment