- Amazon reportedly has plans for another smartphone
- The original Fire Phone was launched in 2014
- AI and shopping are said to be central to the new device
You’d be forgiven for not remembering the Amazon Fire Phone when it launched in June 2014 and only lasted a year or so before production ceased and sales ceased. Well, it looks like Amazon is up for another crack at the smartphone market.
According to Pakinomist, a device codenamed ‘Transformer’ is under development at Amazon – although it is not clear from the inside sources speaking to Pakinomist when this phone might see the light of day or how much it might cost.
One of the handset’s main focuses is said to be AI, as you’d expect since Amazon recently pushed out its upgraded Alexa+ AI chatbot. Shopping services are also said to be central to the phone, which again is not a surprise.
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The project is apparently driven by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his desire to create a versatile, voice-controlled digital device that wouldn’t look out of place on Star Trek — and it seems Amazon executives think they can succeed a second time.
A minimal second device?
All of the Prime services, including Prime Music and Prime Video, would be tightly integrated into the phone, according to the report. There are also hints that built-in AI could remove some of the reliance on specific apps and a traditional app store.
We don’t know too much more about the device yet, but the Pakinomist report suggests that this isn’t a phone guaranteed to launch at this point. It is apparently something that is being actively developed, but much depends on the future strategy and financial results.
Another tidbit suggests that the new handset has been inspired by the minimal Light Phone, which could give us an idea of the direction Amazon is thinking of going in. Perhaps this will be more of a secondary device than a primary phone.
Of course, Amazon already makes some cheap and cheerful tablets, Kindle e-readers and several smart speakers. It’s not a complete newbie to hardware, but taking on Apple, Google and Samsung is a tall order, even for a company the size of Amazon.
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