While Apple has steadily increased the number of iTunes tracks that sell for $1.29, Amazon MP3, Amazon.com’s online music store, has just lowered the price of many popular songs from 89-or-99 cents to just $0.69.

And these aren’t newly-encoded 1950s tracks 9 out of 10 octogenarians never heard of – the new price is for many current bestselling songs like Katy Perry’s E.T. and Bruno Mars’ The Lazy Song.  In fact, if you take a look at the list of Amazon MP3’s bestselling MP3 songs, more than 50% of the top 60 are now selling for $0.69 – costing listeners roughly half what they’d shell out for iTunes purchases.

Amazon MP3 sells unlocked .MP3 audio files which will play back on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), iPods, Android phones, Windows Phones and virtually every other device designed to handle digital audio.  And the online retailer recently launched their Cloud Drive, an online “digital locker” for files and media, along with Cloud Player, a Windows, Mac OS and Android app that allows users to playback the audio files stored there over an internet connection.

We’re disappointed Amazon still hasn’t released an iTunes-like application for PCs which would allow users to purchase and manage Amazon MP3 content outside a browser, but with savings this substantial the extra effort required to separately download and manage music purchased from Amazon, particularly in this economy, will be worthwhile for many users. 

Now let’s see if enough people make the switch to Amazon MP3 for Apple to take notice.

The HTC Droid Incredible 2 launched on Verizon Wireless yesterday for a direct price of $199 with a two-year contract – but if you’re eying the latest Verizon Android phone, you can nab one for about half that price.

Amazon and LetsTalk.com are each offering the Droid Incredible 2 for $99 with a new two-year contract at checkout.  This price applies to new Verizon Wireless accounts only; if you’re already a Verizon customer and are eligible for an upgrade, the price at each retailer jumps to $149, still $50 less than the direct Verizon Wireless price. 

And if you order from Amazon, you also qualify for the $25 Appstore credit through May 1st.

Learn more about the new HTC Incredible 2 Android phone…

But don’t get too excited just yet; the new Google Talk will be included in an upcoming over-the-air Android 2.3.4 OS update for the Nexus S, and won’t be an individual download for some time (if ever).  Android users who don’t have a Nexus S will presumably have to wait either until their device is updated to Android 2.3.4 (and most are still stuck with 2.2.1, to say nothing of 2.3) or until Google decides to make this Google Talk app available via the Marketplace as a standalone download.

Features include video chatting over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G (if your carrier allows it) as well as the ability to chat with anyone using Gmail or a video-capable version of Google Talk, irrespective of device.

Find out more at the Google Mobile Blog.

On Thursday, Verizon Wireless will begin shipping the HTC Droid Incredible 2, the successor to the popular Droid Incredible which was released in April 2010.

The Droid Incredible 2 ADR6350 bears little resemblance to the original, with a different body style and significant hardware changes.  There’s no dual-core processor inside the Incredible 2, though it does feature a later-generation Snapdragon processor.  Other changes include a larger 4-inch Super LCD touchscreen, a 50% bump in RAM, nearly 15GB of onboard flash storage, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 720p HD video recording via its 8MP camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chat, and global roaming capabilities.

Verizon will sell the HTC Droid Incredible 2 for $199 with a two-year contract beginning April 28th, but we expect third-party smartphone retailers to beat this price right out of the gate.  Stay tuned for more details if you’re interested in this new Android phone.

Learn more about the HTC Droid Incredible 2…

To help promote its new Android Appstore, Amazon.com is offering anyone who purchases a Verizon Wireless Android phone a $25 app credit for the next few days. 

To get the credit, purchase a Verizon Wireless Android phone (HTC Thunderbolt, Droid X, HTC Droid Incredible, etc.) or even a Verizon Wireless Android tablet (XOOM, Galaxy Tab) from Amazon / AmazonWireless.  Look for the promotional banner near the top of the listing to confirm eligibility:

Within five days of purchase, you’ll receive a $25 Amazon Appstore promotional code via email.  It’s that simple.

Offer ends 11:59 p.m. PST May 1, 2011.  Credit must be used with the Amazon Appstore. Check after the jump for additional details.

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