Amazon strikes back at Android with ‘Underground’ shopping app

Amazon has launched a new shopping app on Android called Underground, which is a collection all of the free apps offered throughout the Amazon Appstore.

In December, Google banned Amazon’s Android app on account of it having its own independent app store inside.

Eight months later, Amazon is back, and this time it doesn’t need Google’s permission.

Underground gathers and displays apps and games that are “actually free” as Amazon calls it — with no hidden costs like in-app purchases.

Amazon says users of Underground have access to over $10,000 in free apps and in-app purchases through Underground that would normally cost them if purchased through Amazon’s regular Appstore.

But the big hook is that the Amazon is offering users popular apps that would normally have to be paid for on the rival Google Play store.

“Many apps and games that are marked as ‘free’ turn out not to be completely free. They use in-app payments to charge you for special items or to unlock features or levels,” Amazon wrote on its website Thursday.

“In Underground, you will find 100 percent free versions of popular premium titles.”
The U.S. e-commerce player already has games such as “Fruit Ninja”, “Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions”, and “Angry Birds” signed up.

Amazon has been able to make these apps free by paying game developers a “certain amount on a per-minute played basis in exchange for them waiving their normal in-app fees.” Those games will be marked with an “actually free” banner within Amazon’s app.