Amazon Prime Instant Video FINALLY lands on Android

Amazon has finally released its Netflix-alike Instant Video app to Android – so users with a Samsung, HTC or one of the many other brands of Android phone in their pocket can finally watch streaming video on the go on. But there’s a catch.

The catch – is that to download the app users must install the Amazon App Store on their phone. Whilst relatively straightforward, it isn’t as simply as pressing a button in Google Play – but it is clever marketing from Amazon. If Amazon can persuade Google Play users to switch to Amazon’s alternative by using the video carrot, it will control a bigger slice of your smartphone.

Previously Instant Video has only been available on iPhone and Amazon’s own Fire-branded devices, like the Fire Phone and Kindle Fire tablets. Those devices both run a modified version of Android anyway – so withholding Instant Video until now has essentially been a political act.

So good news all round – especially as Android Prime users can now watch The West Wing whenever they want.