Amazon Appstore introduces A/B app testing for Android developers

December 6, 2012 | By Jason Ankeny

Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Appstore for Android is launching new A/B testing capabilities that will allow developers to simultaneously trial different versions of their applications and identify which features deliver the superior user experience.

The Amazon A/B Testing service takes two variations of an app feature or promotion and distributes each version to unique Android user groups, collecting measurements for each variation to identify which one is more successful. "Let's say you or someone in your company wants to determine whether a change to the homescreen of your app results in more in-app purchases," Amazon explains. "One way to do this is to measure how many in-app purchases are made from the original homescreen for every single user, then publish a new application with a changed homescreen and measure how many in-app purchases are made for every single user again. After gathering all of the data for both variations of the home screen, you decide which variation results in more in-app purchases and, if necessary, publish a new app version with the changed homescreen."

Developers set up and monitor tests from the Web-based Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal, relying on server-side logic to iterate tests and deploy revamped apps without resubmitting their existing APK or writing additional client-side code.

A/B Testing is free for developers who distribute Android apps and games through the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Program. Developers can download the A/B Testing beta SDK here.

Amazon reports that Appstore for Android downloads have increased 500 percent year-over-year. The digital retail giant adds that the number of developer partners incorporating in-app purchasing features into their apps more than doubled during the third quarter. In October, 23 of Amazon Appstore's 25 top-grossing apps used Amazon's In-App Purchasing technology.

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