App Developers focusing on Apple's iOS and Google's Android may want to pay more attention to another outlet for their products: Amazon. Android developers, is there a fork in your future? Tell us by sharing a comment below. Mobile analytics firm Flurry reports that Amazon's platform, based on but distinct from Google's version of Android, offers nearly as much revenue potential as Apple's App Store, and far more than Google Play. Amazon's decision to fork Android, as discussed by Dice Android Talent Community Guide Michelle Greenlee, "appears to be paying off," in Flurry's words. "Showing its commerce strength, Amazon already delivers more than three times the revenue per user in its app store compared to what Google generates for developers. " Specifically, for every $1 the App Store generates, Amazon generates 89 cents and Google Play 23 cents. It's true that, as GigaOm's Kevin C. Tofel points out, Amazon apps are virtually the same as their Android brethren. But who's the bigger name when it comes to buying things online? Amazon, he writes:

… is a top retail brand around the world: Last year, Amazon’s brand value surpassed that of WalMart to take the top retail brand spot. This mindset, that Amazon is a safe place to purchase digital content — think e-books, music, and video — extends to apps and in-app purchases, even if they’re the same wares found in Google’s store. Clearly, consumers are comfortable with Apple’s brand and store too, so devs may want to focus on iOS and Amazon when it comes to mobile apps.

The benefits of forking is becoming a more frequent topic among mobile app developers. Device makers see it as a defensive move against Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility. Sony, Intel and Samsung are among those reportedly considering using the OS as a basis, not an end product unto itself. For developers, this should mean more opportunities to make money with their apps.