Like many developers out there, Remixation, maker of the popular iPad and iPhone app ShowYou, has decided to bring its app over to Android. However, while the app is interesting in itself — it is a social video aggregator, think Flipboard for video — what's more notable is that it has developed it just for the Kindle Fire. That's right, the company has decided to focus on just the one Android tablet for now and has spent considerable time and effort getting it right for just Amazon's device.
"You have the whole fractured operating system ecosystem, and that's hard to navigate... We felt that if we were going to gamble on an Android tablet, this was the one to gamble on," Remixation CEO Mark Hall said. He also added that the Fire seemed like the perfect platform for a video-based app. Still, Remixation's move makes it very clear that developers are starting to focus on Amazon's platform rather than Google's tablet-focused operating systems, as we predicted might happen in our Fire review.
I've been playing with the new app on the Fire, and while it's quite basic, that may be what makes it so compelling. Punch in your Twitter or Facebook username and it will pull in videos shared by your friends. Video playback has been very smooth, though the whole experience, including swiping and animations, doesn't seem as fluid as on the iPad 2. The app will be available for free today on the company's site and through the Amazon App Store soon, which means you'll be able to put it on any Android 2.3.3 tablet that's got the app directory. Though if you had any doubt, the company is stressing that it has truly been optimized for Amazon's 7-inch tablet.
Comments
think that’s mistake. The code is similar what could the cost be to do regular android.
By oshizo2 on 12.20.11 12:07pm
I suppose they figure if the Fire version of the app is successful enough, then they can always invest a bit more in the platform and port it to other Android tablets. If it ISN’T successful. then they won’t worry about porting it and didn’t waste money doing so.
By silellak on 12.20.11 12:36pm
I think that’s kind of a snobby attitude to have. Other companies have figured out how to make multi-platform apps. Some of them like Evernote work pretty well. It automatically changes the UI based on the screen density.
Maybe Remixation should focus on getting better programmers.
By ebaychuck on 12.20.11 12:19pm
It’s not just a question of programming; it also takes design work and time to make an app that looks great at many resolutions. We just decided to focus on the Fire first. A phone-compatible version is coming.
By PhilKulak on 12.20.11 12:35pm
Yes, I am having apps built for my radio stations and EVERY developer has the Android app right at $200 over the iOS version. I ask why and I get. We have to put more resources into validating on various Android versions in the marketplace. They said ’It’s much easier on Apple’.
I think this company is smart. Go after the popular tablet and see what happens.
By chris.collins on 12.20.11 12:49pm
Oh, no! $200 whole dollars!!!! That’s enough to surely bankrupt any company!
By Joenathan on 12.20.11 2:00pm
Im guessing it would be a whole lot more than $200 if your company wasn’t using a dedicated app developers economies of scale, and instead had to hire the extra people and purchase all the devices to validate…
By alexh2o on 12.20.11 3:43pm
I think this is the main reason why programmers target iOS first, it’s less hardware to target. It’s not a complicated conclusion.
By avinash240 on 12.20.11 2:21pm
$200 doesn’t sound like much considering Android has significantly more market share than iOS (on phones anyway).
By theaolway on 12.20.11 2:29pm
im sorry but i feel that there is some BS here. Am I developer by profession and yes coding for Android can be cumbersome when dealing with all the different versions BUT you guys make it sound like its a bunch of different Operation Systems. I feel there was an exclusivity deal here that you guys dont want to mention. I felt the same way about the whole Netflix and it only working on the TI chips due to DRM issues. Crazy how blockbuster had a similar app that worked on most devices past 2.2. Then shocker a few months later its now magically able to work on all devices.
By westindiesking on 12.20.11 12:55pm
Yup, It can be made to work, the resources required are far from huge despite what the people with agendas say
This is purely commercial, the Fire is selling well & it’s designed purely to sell content, away from the Fire in the Android world… Free reigns supreme, designing a premium app may not be the best use of limited development budgets.
By cc_star on 12.20.11 1:03pm
Understandable.
By ebaychuck on 12.22.11 9:29am
“Video playback has been very smooth, though the whole experience, including swiping and animations, doesn’t seem as fluid as on the iPad 2.”
Surprised?
By VoxMediaUser608076 on 12.20.11 12:23pm
Yeah, what do you expect? It’s Gingerbread which does zero hardware acceleration for an interface.
If they built a Honeycomb app it could have have acceleration, and then the improvements to that in ICS would probably see it be quite fluid.
By Danrarbc on 12.20.11 12:40pm
All versions of Android support hardware acceleration for the UI.
By theaolway on 12.20.11 2:32pm
Not true. Go read those posts by Dianne Hackborn.
By Timmmm on 12.20.11 10:18pm
May I suggest you read them. She clearly says all versions of Android use acceleration to some degree. Honeycomb uses more than Gingerbread but that is not the same as saying Gingerbread uses zero.
By theaolway on 12.21.11 5:04am
She also basically says that despite the hardware acceleration, there is still unresolved lag throughout their UI that they haven’t gotten rid of, and haven’t stated when they will…
By VoxMediaUser608076 on 12.21.11 11:12am
Yes, this will be the future for Android tablet optimized apps. Most will be dumb-down to Android 2.3 and to the Fire’s screen size.
By joeYYY on 12.21.11 12:15am
I don’t think it’s a bad tactic, the world will undoubtedly see way more Kindle Fire’s than any other Android tablet we’ve seen up until now, and probably into the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately they are missing on Honeycomb and upcoming ICS tablets, which are leaps and bounds ahead of Gingerbread from the get-go. I can’t stand pre-Honeycomb Android, even with custom ROMs and tons of customizations I find it hard to use as reliable platform. I love my Honeycomb tablet though, and am eagerly waiting for the official ICS upgrades.
The irony of Amazon having the ability to make Google’s OS usable in tablet form is probably more delicious than the desserts however.
By RoldGold on 12.20.11 12:29pm
This is a smart move on their part and they are right. If you are going to gamble on an Android tablet, the Fire is the one to go with. Amazon is selling them like hotcakes and the ecosystem is the closest we have to what Apple is doing.
By JMRouse on 12.20.11 12:38pm
I should add that I am a Fire owner and couldn’t be happier with the purchase.
By JMRouse on 12.20.11 12:40pm
Seems like the Android Market ecosystem is pretty close. Movies, Music, Apps, Books.
Okay I guess they’re missing TV, and movies are rental-only. So that’s the difference. But Google is light-years ahead of where they were 6 months ago.
By Danrarbc on 12.20.11 12:43pm
It’s a false choice. Making an app for Android is not a Gamble. It’s the most popular Mobile OS by a country mile. They can easily develop an app that will work for all platforms just like thousands of developers have already done.
Sounds like a cop out and lame excuse. Any developer who follows the Android user interface guidelines will have an app that works across any Android device.
By deitiphobia on 12.20.11 1:00pm
They are ahead with “mobile OS,” but it’s not by that huge of a margin and is only with mobile smartphones. Google is loosing big time with tablets and we are talking about tablets here.
By JMRouse on 12.20.11 1:11pm