The difference between a service company and a hardware company is that the latter tries to bundle an exclusive widget with their device so they can make some additional money at the point of purchase. If you’re selling a service however, whether that be Twitter, Facebook, or Audible, then you as a company try your hardest to work on every device on the face of the planet, because each of those devices is a potential source of revenue. Internet companies get this, hardware manufacturers don’t. Philosophical ramblings aside, Amazon, which owns Audible, has done their best to make sure you can listen to your audio books on whatever device you own. But there’s been a gaping hole in their portfolio of applications, and that’s Windows Phone. Seeing as how AT&T is going to launch the Lumia 900 next week, it’s a perfect opportunity for Audible to scream from the hill tops that people should feel confident buying Nokia’s latest flagship because they’ll have access to all the audiobooks they’ve purchased over the past few years. Enter the video below, done by WPCentral, demoing the app. They say it’ll launch during the next “few weeks”:
We’re starting to wonder how many other developers have taken a look at Windows Phone and then turned their heads after realizing that iOS is where the money is, and Android is where they’ll get eyeballs? Audible is coming to Windows Phone because Microsoft (and Nokia) are soon going to take America seriously. Angry Birds Space was at first not even going to come to Windows Phone, but then something happened during the course of the next few hours (money changed hands?) and the company changed their tune.
Don’t you think the same conversations are happening at companies all over the world? Apps will eventually hit Windows Phone, because Microsoft has enough money to play the mobile OS game, but are the apps there today? And if not, are they going to be there tomorrow?