Amazong is proving to be extremely ambitious. The retail giant isn’t content with just selling products anymore, it wants to make its own. This was evident when the company bought game developers in an attempt to create its own STB/Console hybrid, and it’s becoming even more evident now that it has announced its own smartphone. That’s right, an Amazon Smartphone is coming our way, so let’s see what we can expect from it.
With the unexpected duo of Amazon and HTC working on the current installation of an Amazon Smartphone, the Amazon Kindle and Fire TV additions that were made earlier this month had better step aside. Many of Amazon’s customer base are anticipating the smartphone, which’ll promise as much cover and functionality of your current smartphones on the market. One common question is what the specifications will be like, and what the smartphone is going to offer in order to set it apart from the rest of the competition. Fortunately, we can shed a bit of light on those inquiries since earlier this morning we were given some insight on the next step for Amazon’s development of the smartphone.
According to a first-hand source in the department of Amazon’s smartphone development branch; we can expect that the smartphone will have head-tracking capabilities and offer limited 3D effects. This key feature will be reserved to just a few built-in gestures, and as of yet we’re not entirely certain as to what that means. But keep in mind that this feature is something that we’ve not seen in particular via smartphone models. It’s an ambitious movement from Amazon, certainly, though we’re not convinced yet that it’ll make the smartphone an iconic addition to the rapidly growing mobile market.
According to a source found at Techcrunch, the flagship device, known as Duke, is going to be powered by a significantly modified version of Android. It is called FireOS, and will entice with extreme 3D parallax effects, similar to those found on iOS but notably exaggerated. The screen itself will not be 3D, but will ensure an overall 3D effect. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon has shown off the smartphone device to key developers in San Francisco and Seattle; therefore it is a safe bet to assume that it’ll launch with third party support.
With details from multiple sources beginning to trickle in, BGR has managed to gather that Amazon’s first phone will be host a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and it will also include 2GB of RAM. It’ll have a 4.7-inch screen, or so it is said, and have a 720p display that falls just sliver short of the full HD screens in comparison to those on the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5.
One of the huge statements that Amazon is bringing to the table is the fact that it is building six cameras into its first smartphone. The source at BGR states that the Amazon smartphone will have a 13-megapixel rear camera for stills and video, as well as a front-facing one for use with video calls and Mayday. There’ll be four other IR cameras used to track face and eye position, which is then used to implement changes in the position of user interface for potential 3D effects. Photographs obtained by BGR show off the smartphone in all its unrenowned glory, but at the moment the device doesn’t look too primarily different from those that are currently on the market. Which could weigh in, or out of Amazon’s favor.
With the release of Amazon Fire TV earlier this month, we can expect that the smartphone might actually be linked to its overall functionality in some obscure manner. But from here-on out, everything else is baseless rumors. We’ll be here to give you updates on the latest unveilings of the Amazon smartphone, as well as listen to your feedback and hopes for the upcoming release. Feel free to leave a comment below to tell us your initial reaction to a potential investment in an Amazon mobile device.