Amazon has announced that Android users can now try before they buy when perusing the company's Appstore, thanks to the new Test Drive feature.

New for Android anyway, as the feature has existed on Amazon.com for just over a year.

Once you have hit the Test Drive button beneath the app's description, the trial lasts for 10 minutes, with the app behaving as if it were fully installed into the smartphone.

According to Jerry Heinz, the general manager of Test Drive, the feature, "removes the friction" between users and the products, and helps customers, "understand the value of premium apps and drives downloads of freemium apps". The latter assessment here will certainly be the key aspect for Amazon, but the the option to try separate the app wheat from the app chaff before committing to the purchase is nevertheless a welcome addition.

It should be noted that only "select Android phones" can take advantage of Test Drive, so some will be left disappointed. Also, the number of applications that can be tried is limited to around 5,000, though Amazon promise the number will grow steadily grow over time.

Sources: Amazon Appstore Blog and Phone Arena