Amazon rumored to introduce a smart phone in July

[sirmaru]

Per this link Amazon is scheduled to introduce a smart phone with a 3D screen without glasses in July for delivery the end of September:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...-june/7614527/

I waited for years for that phone and just went ahead and purchased a Samsung Galaxy S5 Smart Phone just released TODAY.

Now I'm stuck with a 2 year contract until I can switch to Amazon.

[tubemonkey]

3D is gimmicky and stupid for a phone.

Amazon is taking too long to enter this market. I'm now quite happy with my Nexus 4.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Per this link Amazon is scheduled to introduce a smart phone with a 3D screen without glasses in July for delivery the end of September:

3D's been done before and I don't think it sold all that well (HTC Evo 3D & variants), but if that rumor's true I'm sure Amazon will have some kind of different take on it. Personally I have zero interest in a 3D phone, I suppose that could change, but don't see how at the moment.

Of course Amazon phone rumors have been around for years, so who knows if/when something might really happen.

I waited for years for that phone and just went ahead and purchased a Samsung Galaxy S5 Smart Phone just released TODAY.

Now I'm stuck with a 2 year contract until I can switch to Amazon.

Look on the bright side. 2nd & 3rd gen Amazon devices are usually a pretty good improvement on their 1st gen devices.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Look on the bright side. 2nd & 3rd gen Amazon devices are usually a pretty good improvement on their 1st gen devices.

True, I just told my wife in 2 years she gets my 2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 and I then get the Amazon 2016 Smart Phone when available. Everyone wins.

That first 2008 Amazon Kindle was a dinosaur compared to the 2013 Paperwhite.

[PurpleStar]

Good grief, is amazon taking over the world?

[frahse]

I was wrestling with the choice of which Republic Wireless phone I would get.
Moto X $300 or Moto G $150 and now a new Amazon phone.


Any idea which carrier will offer it, or will it be all of them.
It would be really nice if Amazon offered a service like Republic.

$5/mo the phone works on wi-fi with voice, text, data
$10/mo the phone works on wi-fi and 3G cellular voice, text (no data on cellular)
$25/mo the phone works on wi-fi and 3G cellular voice, text, data
$40/mo the phone works on wi-fi, 3G, and 4G (LTE, whatever) with everything..

PLANS

Even at $5 a month, you get a phone number so with just internet service and one of these phones, you have a regular house phone, etc. (Just VOIP)

The beauty of the system is that if you decide that you want cellular or Data at anytime, you just select from the phone's dashboard, the plan you want. You can change your plan twice each month.

MacRumors is reporting this rumor too. If true, I think that it would be a small, smartphone version of the Kindle Fire. I cannot imagine Amazon releasing something that doesn't plug into their ecosystem and lock out other ecosystems. If someone is happy with Amazon's limited version of Android, then they might buy it. But frankly I don't see these things selling in numbers that would bring huge profits. It would be just another lackluster smartphone running Amazon's version of a castrated Android. Meh! And you can bet it will be loaded with zillions of apps you cannot delete because Amazon wants the customers to buy lots of Amazon goods and services.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by frahse

I was wrestling with the choice of which Republic Wireless phone I would get.
Moto X $300 or Moto G $150 and now a new Amazon phone.


Any idea which carrier will offer it, or will it be all of them.
It would be really nice if Amazon offered a service like Republic.

$5/mo the phone works on wi-fi with voice, text, data
$10/mo the phone works on wi-fi and 3G cellular voice, text (no data on cellular)
$25/mo the phone works on wi-fi and 3G cellular voice, text, data
$40/mo the phone works on wi-fi, 3G, and 4G (LTE, whatever) with everything..

PLANS

Even at $5 a month, you get a phone number so with just internet service and one of these phones, you have a regular house phone, etc. (Just VOIP)

The beauty of the system is that if you decide that you want cellular or Data at anytime, you just select from the phone's dashboard, the plan you want. You can change your plan twice each month.

Funny, I am in the same situation. I have had my eye on republic wireless for a while, but can't swing the $299 for a Moto X. Then they announced the Moto G to come in April so I thought this would be a solution for me. Their plans are the best I have seen anywhere.
I am in dire need of a phone, but don't want to pay a lot per month. I am on the pre paid ATT plan now. One of the old ones where I can put on $100 a year and calls are 10 cents a minute and it takes the money out of that $100. Problem is that I am using a very very old iphone3 for it and its not really made for that plan. That plan only works on dumb phones.

Now the battery is really bad on it and I never have any option on going to data every with it. Plus I can't update the software or it won't work on that pre paid plan anymore. I don't even have itunes. I don't want an iphone, I want something android based.

I think I need to add another 3 month prepaid to my phone and wait to see if Amazon comes out with anything.

I could not get it though if its 3D. My eyes can't do 3D, they don't work like that. It would do nothing but make me dizzy.

I have been waiting for a amazon phone now for a long time.

Not sure though how anyone can beat the republic plans though. But I would love a Fire phone.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by jswinden

MacRumors is reporting this rumor too. If true, I think that it would be a small, smartphone version of the Kindle Fire. I cannot imagine Amazon releasing something that doesn't plug into their ecosystem and lock out other ecosystems. If someone is happy with Amazon's limited version of Android, then they might buy it. But frankly I don't see these things selling in numbers that would bring huge profits. It would be just another lackluster smartphone running Amazon's version of a castrated Android. Meh! And you can bet it will be loaded with zillions of apps you cannot delete because Amazon wants the customers to buy lots of Amazon goods and services.

IA. I don't really see the point of an Amazon phone and I'm not sure too many people will go for it. Some might if it's dirt cheap but there are other full Android phones out, some of which are very cheap and provide a good bang for the buck.

However, I do think the rumors are true. A Fire phone seems just as superfluous as the Fire streaming box that Amazon is currently selling.

[OtterBooks]

If they do, I would hope they tone down the OS to be a little less Amazon-in-a-box than the Fire. I had a 3-D Evo for a while and the feature added a bit of depth to some apps but I could have done without it.

[wizwor]

Superfluous: 1. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. 2. unnecessary or needless. 3. Obsolete . possessing or spending more than enough or necessary; extravagant.
Probably a matter of perspective. Fiver years after Comcast, I might characterize premium television as such. Given my bias towards broadcast television, I suppose I could live without high speed internet.

I am as dissatisfied with my Verizon wireless service as I am with my Rokus and was with Comcast. Living in rural New Hampshire, I have few alternatives. Given my experience with Amazon and my level of satisfaction with my Kindle, Fire, and Fire TV, I am pretty excited about the possibility of a Fire Phone.

Originally Posted by faithbw

IA. I don't really see the point of an Amazon phone and I'm not sure too many people will go for it. Some might if it's dirt cheap but there are other full Android phones out, some of which are very cheap and provide a good bang for the buck.

However, I do think the rumors are true. A Fire phone seems just as superfluous as the Fire streaming box that Amazon is currently selling.

[sirmaru]

Amazon waited too long for that smart phone. I was a guaranteed Amazon smart phone purchaser but now I'm into that Samsung Galaxy S5 due this coming Tuesday at my door.

There could have been lots of Amazon customers like me who lost patience. I'd never buy any Apple products but on the Galaxy S5 Forum I notice there are lots of iPhone 5S customers defecting to the Galaxy S5.

Samsung may benefit from former Amazon and Apple customers who just want something new NOW.

I did purchase that Galaxy 5S FROM AMAZON.

[wizwor]

Your S5 will come with a two year contract. By the time any Amazon phone is available, you'll be halfway through. Our contract is through next February. So, while I'm enthusiastic, I will do some homework between release and contract expiration. It's not TOO late, the timing is just off a bit for you.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by wizwor

Superfluous: 1. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. 2. unnecessary or needless. 3. Obsolete . possessing or spending more than enough or necessary; extravagant.
Probably a matter of perspective. Fiver years after Comcast, I might characterize premium television as such. Given my bias towards broadcast television, I suppose I could live without high speed internet.

I am as dissatisfied with my Verizon wireless service as I am with my Rokus and was with Comcast. Living in rural New Hampshire, I have few alternatives. Given my experience with Amazon and my level of satisfaction with my Kindle, Fire, and Fire TV, I am pretty excited about the possibility of a Fire Phone.

Yes, I know the meaning of superfluous. That's why I used it. Unless, Amazon is going to create a whole new network (which seems unlikely as there hasn't been any indication that they are), I'm not sure how an Amazon phone solves your problem with Verizon or Comcast. If you get an Amazon phone, you'll still need a network to run it on. I suppose the new Fire streaming box might be better for you than a Roku but again, I don't see how this relates to a phone. The Amazon phone seems as superfluous (we should get an award for using this word so many times) as the Facebook phone. Ok, maybe a little less than the Facebook phone. Will people really want the Amazon experience on their phones? Is it necessary, especially with Kindle Fire tablets and now the Fire streaming box?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by faithbw

Will people really want the Amazon experience on their phones? Is it necessary, especially with Kindle Fire tablets and now the Fire streaming box?

Will people want it? Why not? People want all Apple across the board (phone, tablet, set-top box) and this would be similar in many ways. There are a lot of fans of the Amazon ecosystem out there. Is it necessary, no of course not, but most things aren't. Amazon must think there's sufficient demand and they're fairly smart when it comes to knowing their market.