Reports suggest Amazon is getting back into the smartphone game, years after its 2014 Fire Phone was a total flop. The new phone, codenamed 'Transformer', will have Alexa built-in and aims to take on Apple's ecosystem. Its main highlight will be its deep AI integration.
CALIFORNIA: A big name is set to make a comeback in the smartphone market, and no, it's not Nokia or HTC. We're talking about Amazon. According to new reports, the American tech giant is planning to get back into the business of making smartphones. Their first attempt, the Fire Phone launched in 2014, was a massive failure.
International news agency Reuters reports that this new smartphone project is codenamed 'Transformer'. The device will come with Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, built right in. The idea is for this phone to be a personal mobile device that connects users to services like Prime Video and Amazon Music. This ties into Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's vision of a computing system based on voice-controlled computers, an idea inspired by the voice-driven assistants seen in sci-fi shows like Star Trek.
Amazon's plan to take on Apple
The company believes that an Amazon smartphone could be the perfect gateway to bring more users into its various services. A user could buy products from Amazon's website, read books via the Kindle Store, and seamlessly watch movies on Prime Video. This gives Amazon a chance to directly challenge Apple's ecosystem, as Apple also offers its own music, streaming, and other services, much like Amazon.
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How will the Amazon phone work?
The 'Transformer' project is being led by a team called Zero One, which operates within Amazon's devices division. This team is headed by J Allard, a former Microsoft executive. They are reportedly considering a standard smartphone design, but also a simpler 'dumbphone' version that could help reduce screen addiction. The main feature of this device will be its AI integration. This could reduce the need to rely on traditional app stores and encourage more voice-based interactions. However, details about the new smartphone's other features and its release date are still under wraps.
Amazon's failed Fire Phone
Amazon launched the Fire Phone back in 2014. Developed based on Jeff Bezos's vision, the phone was quite different from the usual smartphones of that time. It came with 3D cameras that could create a dynamic effect on the screen depending on how you looked at it. The Fire Phone ran on Fire OS, a custom version of Android, but without any Google services like Google Maps or the Play Store. The phone was considered a total failure. To boost sales, Amazon slashed its price from $649 to just $159. Even then, it was discontinued within 14 months of its launch. Reports say Amazon had to write off a loss of $170 million because of this phone.
Competition in the smartphone market will get tougher
Right now, the smartphone market is dominated by companies like Apple and Samsung. On top of that, rising memory prices have also affected market growth. Some reports even suggest that global smartphone shipments might see a decline by 2026. Amidst all these challenges, only time will tell how successful Amazon's new smartphone project will be.
