Amazon has worked hard to keep its BlackBerry-wielding customers happy. Both the Kindle app and the Amazon.com shopping app for BlackBerry are well thought out and extremely useful. The Amazon MP3 app is now available at App World, and is a great tool for music addicts on the go.
Organization and Functionality
When we reviewed the Amazon.com app, the biggest con was the inability to purchase mp3s and download them directly to your BlackBerry. The Amazon MP3 app was created specifically to fill that gap. It has all of the essential functions you need to find, preview, purchase, and download MP3s directly to your BlackBerry.
When you launch the app, you will see the Top Songs on Amazon. You can also switch the view to see Top Albums, New Songs, New Albums, and Genres, but it does take quite a while for the screens to refresh and for album art to load. From the search bar at the top of the window, you can search for Songs, Albums, or Artists, which allows you to find exactly what you are looking for quickly.
Previewing and Buying MP3s
Previewing a Song
AmazonIf you are unsure about whether or not you are about to purchase the correct song, the app allows you to preview any song, just like you can on the Amazon site. Just click on the song and the preview will download and play.
Once you are ready to buy a song, just click on the price button next to the song title, and you will be prompted to enter your Amazon account information, and to agree to Amazon's Terms of Use. Once you've signed in, a dialog box will ask you to confirm whether you would like to purchase and download the song. When you click the Get button, your song will immediately begin to download to your BlackBerry. You can even use gift cards and promo codes by entering the information on the Options screen.
Download Options
The app was designed with consideration for BlackBerry users on capped data plans. You can restrict downloading to Wi-Fi Only in the application Options. You can also restrict downloads to when your device is not roaming to avoid hefty roaming data charges. You also have the choice of saving your songs to your Media Card or to the Device Memory.
Pros Cons and Conclusions
Application Download Options
AmazonPros
- Easy to use
- Can preview songs right in the app
- Works and feels like Amazon's MP3 store on the Web
- Can restrict downloads to Wi-Fi Only
Cons
- Application is a bit slow
- Takes a long time to load lists and album art
Conclusions
The Amazon MP3 app fills a crucial gap for BlackBerry users. It allows you to easily find, preview, purchase, and download MP3s directly to your BlackBerry from anywhere. Before the release of this app, BlackBerry users did not have a music store or app that could compete with the iPhone and iTunes Store combination. Now, thanks to Amazon and RIM, they do.
