- Amazon reportedly has plans for another smartphone
- The original Fire Phone 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, as it launched in June 2014 and lasted just a year or so before production ceased and sales were discontinued. Well, it appears that Amazon fancies another crack at the smartphone market.
According to Reuters, a device with the codename ‘Transformer’ is in development at Amazon — although it’s not clear from the inside sources speaking to Reuters when this phone might see the light of day or how much it could cost.
One of the main focuses of the handset is said to be AI, as you might expect given that Amazon has recently pushed out its upgraded Alexa+ AI chatbot. Shopping services are also said to be central to the phone, which again isn’t a surprise.
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The project is apparently being driven by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his desire to create an all-purpose, voice-controlled digital device that wouldn’t look out of place on Star Trek — and it seems Amazon executives think they can succeed second time around.
A minimal second device?
All the Prime services, including Prime Music and Prime Video, would be tightly integrated into the phone, as per the report. There are also hints that on-board 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 Reuters report suggests this isn’t a phone that’s guaranteed to launch at this stage. It’s something that’s being actively developed, apparently, but a lot depends on future strategy and financial performance.
One other tidbit suggests that the new handset has been inspired by the minimal Light Phone, which could give us some idea of the direction Amazon is thinking of going in. Maybe this will be more of a secondary device than a primary phone.
Amazon does of course already make some cheap and cheerful tablets, the Kindle e-readers, and multiple smart speakers. It’s not a complete newcomer to hardware, but taking on Apple, Google, and Samsung is a tough ask even for a company of Amazon’s size.
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