Kindle Fire & Amazon Question ...

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

If we’ve already got an app in the Amazon app store …

Do we want to publish a completely new “Fire” version of the app and call it something like “AppName for Fire” …

… or do we want to just update our existing app with a new version and build using the new “Build for Fire” option in 691??
My thought, from the posts about this and the fact that it’s a separate build option, is that the “Fire” build will not be a good build for general android devices in the Amazon App store and the two versions are needed.
:wink:

Thanks,
~~Kenn [import]uid: 13859 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 318127[/import]

#2

Hi,

good question!
I have the same situation.

BR,
Alen

[import]uid: 9592 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69336[/import]

#3

Please :slight_smile: [import]uid: 9592 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69377[/import]

#4

Answer from the big C:

“yes u need new build for fire…”
:slight_smile:
[import]uid: 13859 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69394[/import]

#5

Thx for the info…

Didn’t really answer the question

  • new App !? Or update current!?

Would mean complete new for Fire? [import]uid: 9592 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69397[/import]

#6

I’m going with new as a separate app.

We’ve been told that Fire’s Android is not stock android and Corona has had to do some fancy footwork to make things go on it…

That being the case, it seems to make sense we’d need two separate versions of the app… one built just for the Fire and one built for stock Android devices.

… So I have “AppName” in the Amazon App Store already, and I’ve submitted “AppName on Fire” as my Kindle Fire version. Whether it’s right or not, I’ll find out what Amazon says about it. *grin*

[[Edit to add: I do know that the existing app does NOT show up in the Fire’s app store view… as I have the Fire and the existing app doesn’t show. We knew that it wouldn’t, but just confirming that to be the case.]]

Best,
~~Kenn [import]uid: 13859 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69398[/import]

#7

My last app got approved yesterday from Amazon!
In the Email they wrote, my app will also be seperatly reviewed for the Kindle…

I will wait for the answer… And ask them about the 2nd App just for Kindle…

Br,
Alen [import]uid: 9592 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69400[/import]

#8

I have an App on the Amazon Store, so I recompiled it for the Kindle Fire and resubmitted (still waiting) but I can tell you that that Kindle Fire build still works on the 4 other Android tablets that I have, from 2.2 to 3.1 so you should only need 1 version. [import]uid: 8697 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69407[/import]

#9

Hey everyone,

Just letting you know, we did the same thing (make special KF builds) and we got rejected from Amazon when they did KF testing. I used build 689. I am able to successfully push my APK to my KF and both apps work great. They also work great in the sim and other devices.

I started a new thread as to not hi-jack this one, so if anyone else has the same problems w/ Amazon feel free to post there. :slight_smile:

Chris [import]uid: 5022 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69408[/import]

#10

Hopefully this is not for all Kindle Fire Apps otherwise there might be a few upset people! [import]uid: 8697 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69411[/import]

#11

Ok, given the added debate/discussion on this, I dropped another line to Carlos to seek clarification … and just got back the answer that we do need TWO separate builds… one for Fire, one for stock Android.

Given that, @chrislott, any info on the rejection note that you got from Amazon about it? I’m also curious as to what their timeline from submission to rejection was. (Granted, going into Thanksgiving weekend, it’s likely to be a lot longer…)

Best,
~~Kenn [import]uid: 13859 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69413[/import]

#12

Thanks Kenn. Amazon sent me a logcat of the crash. Our apps close right on opening. I’m hopeful that it has nothing to do with my corona code and more to do with the corona engine. I posted the logcat in the other thread (in this same forum).

Chris [import]uid: 5022 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 69417[/import]

#13

I got the same thing for 2 of my apps that were submitted for the Kindle Fire. I too used build 689, and they said it crashed upon launch. Hopefully there’s a patch for this soon. [import]uid: 63661 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 70189[/import]

#14

It has been fixed in the latest build 695, available now. [import]uid: 5022 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 70191[/import]

#15

Just an update for anyone curious …

I submitted 3 apps for the Fire and all three were accepted. Their review process seems to be well more “outta whack” than Apple’s… as the review times seemed a little longer than what Apple has been churning out recently. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get any email or notification that 1 of the 3 was accepted to the regular android store… and i got 0 email notifications that they had been accepted to Fire. I only know they were because I can find them in the app store on the fire now and can buy/install them.

So… Interesting if nothing else. The one app of mine that I purchased to test the whole process of download and install does indeed get the “clean” version of the Icon on the Fire’s screen. (Those doing tests on the fire will note their icons are low-res and ugly… downloading from the store, the correct icon comes in.)

And yes, one of the apps was a 691 build that I went to resubmit as 695+, but found it was already in review and I had NO option to reject and resubmit… so I had to let it go. They, apparently, were fine with it. (It was the one I test purchased … so I know that it also downloads and runs just fine.)

Oh, also of interesting note … there seems to be no way to reject or not get listed for all android apps. IE, App and App on Fire both seem to be available for other general android devices… ? And at that point, you’re just relying on people not being stupid and buying the “on fire” version for their HTC Eureka Hallelujah XTC and complaining when it doesn’t work? I’m not entirely sure. I could not find very much info about this. But did note in the “reviewer notes” section that I was submitting “Fire” builds specific for the Fire.

Good luck all!
~~Kenn [import]uid: 13859 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 72119[/import]

#16

This is all strange as they are being very inconsistent, I did note this reply from Amazon in another thread but will post it here too as it seems relevant.

THey DO NOT want 2 separate builds according to this reply.

Thank you for your email. As a general rule, we ask that you modify your existing app binary to be compatible with Kindle Fire rather than create a distinct version of your app for Kindle Fire. Our goals are to maintain a unified discovery experience for your app within the Amazon Appstore and to ensure that customers who purchase your app on Kindle Fire will be able to enjoy it on other Android devices registered to their Amazon.com accounts. If you believe it isn’t possible to enhance your existing app binary to be compatible with Kindle Fire, please respond with additional information about the challenge of making your app compatible, and we will contact you with further guidance.

I see that you already had a version of Christmas Fire Live on the Amazon Appstore, and now there’s a second version (which was intended for Kindle Fire only) Live as well. Please let me know if you’d like for one to be taken down and I will make sure that’s taken care of. Given the situation, it may be best for us to take down the newer version and have it resubmitted as an update to the original version that’s been Live on the Amazon Appstore since 11/30. That way, the version that is optimized for Kindle Fire will be available for all Amazon Appstore users. [import]uid: 8697 topic_id: 18127 reply_id: 72121[/import]