TechTheDay

Rumors about Amazon offering its own line of smartphones have been around for months. In 2012, Bloomberg News already reported the possibility of Amazon releasing its own line of smartphones using Google’s Android operating system. Accordingly, Foxconn will be responsible in the manufacturing of the device.

On Wednesday last week, Amazon’s official Twitter account posted that the company will be holding an event in Seattle on the 18th of June. The tweet had a photo attached, showing a black device bearing Amazon’s name. It will be hosted by the company’s Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos. Also, Amazon’s homepage has been displaying a banner notice for those who want to get an invite to their device unveiling.

The Device

Amazon’s device is expected to be marketed in an approach similar to Kindle’s. There could be some special features but it will not aim to go toe-to-toe with what prominent devices are offering in terms of internal specifications. It is even unlikely to follow Samsung’s emulation of adding water-resistance (as popularized by Sony’s Xperia Z line).

Specs

There are no details yet on the would-be specifications of the smartphone from Amazon. Even rumors have nothing reasonably believable to share. However, it’s safe to say that the specs would be comparable to what mid-range to high-end devices from other companies have. According to BGR, the Amazon smartphone specs would likely include a 4.7″ display, 720p resolution, a quad-core processor from Qualcomm, and 2GB RAM.

Highlight on 3D

3D is said to be Amazon’s way of differentiating its device from the crowded Android market. Amazon released a teaser video that somewhat hints the 3D feature. In the video, people were praising the device and tilting their heads as if viewing something on screen with slight disbelief in what they’re seeing. Even back in 2013, there were already reports of the possibility of 3D being prominently featured in the Amazon smartphone.

The device is rumored to have four cameras that will be used to help achieve the 3D effects. There have been patents filed by Amazon that further bolster the possibility of 3D being incorporated in the company’s smartphone, along with the extensive use of hand gestures.

Relatively Low Price

Aside from 3D effects, Amazon is also said to be offering their first smartphone at a relatively low price, similar to the case of the Kindle tablet. This is not going to be a surprising move considering Amazon’s history of intentionally incurring losses on device sales to promote sales in the company’s other businesses.

Drawbacks

Unfortunately, if rumors are to be believed, there would be major drawbacks in the upcoming smartphone from Amazon. Aside from the less-than-high-end specs, the smartphone’s software could be severely withdrawn from Google’s clout. Amazon is rumored to be releasing the phone with a highly customized Android OS, making it incapable of accessing the Android Play store. This extensive customization can also lead to the lack of direct or integrated access to major Google services such as Google Now, Google Maps, Google Drive, and Google Plus for the free photo backup advantage.

Amazon is said to compensate for these through its own solutions, particularly with the development of alternative APIs to help app developers in writing applications for the smartphone.

Right Move?

Is Amazon’s intention to get involved in the smartphone market a good move? Well, only time can show the best answer to such question. It can be said, however, that there’s really nothing drastically bad about participating in the smartphone wars. If small Chinese and Indian manufacturers are generating revenues from their respective operations, it’s unlikely for Amazon to suffer any significant loss if its smartphone line flops. The world’s largest online retailer simply cannot be downed by an unsuccessful venture in the smartphone business.

It is worth noting that a smartphone range can be very advantageous for Amazon. It can significantly facilitate the company’s diversification into digital books, music, and films. The Kindle e-reader was a relative success for Amazon so a similarly packaged and promoted smartphone couldn’t be too far from success.

If the rumors turn out to be true, it would seem that Amazon is not going to offer anything game-changing. Worse, the company’s phones may not even have the specs to outmatch the flagship smartphones of a multitude of companies with legions of fans. Smartphone buyers who are looking for something that can be worth bragging may not be getting such a thing in Amazon’s to-be-released smartphone. Nevertheless, the smartphone from Amazon could be helpful in the company’s advertising efforts, especially in promoting their Prime subscription service.