Phones New Amazon Phone Announced

[Orange Furball]

Oh, well crap. Unnamed multiple sources confirmed the rumor. Well, it must be true then.

This just in: Multiple unnamed sources confirmed to Mac.World that Amazon will not be announcing a new Amazon phone. There. Now you have a verified report on the interest saying the opposite as the Verge. Run with it.

well this is turning out to be a huge rumor day!!!

 

[Mac.World]

I forgot you run a technology news website and actually write about this stuff for a living. I seemed to have misplaced your website from my favorites, got a link?

Yeah. It's called http://www.ibelieveeverythingireadontheinterwebs.com.org.net.gov.us.uk

Or you can check your local grocery store for The National Enquirer for more factual articles than what The Verge reports.

 

[basesloaded190]

Yeah. It's called http://www.ibelieveeverythingireadontheinterwebs.com.org.net.gov.us.uk

Or you can check your local grocery store for The National Enquirer for more factual articles than what The Verge reports.

When did The Verge start reporting non-factual articles?

Remember, you were the one who said that this whole rumor was baseless. All I did was show you the base the story has been standing on all this time.

 

[Chundles]

Meh.

Means nothing overseas. Amazon's only strong within the US, once you cross the border the services available dwindle very quickly.

Apple's got by far the strongest content delivery system once overseas access is taken into account.

 

[gto55]

Amazon phone

Exclusive: Amazon phone confirmed, could be announced tomorrow

70
inShare​

Amazon's updated Kindle Fire and new backlit "Paperwhite" Kindle e-reader have already leaked out ahead of the company's event tomorrow, but there may be one more surprise in store: a mobile phone. Multiple sources have confirmed to The Verge that Amazon is working on a smartphone that runs a variant of the Kindle Fire's Android-based operating system, and we're now hearing that the device will be shown to the press tomorrow.
The phone itself is said to be currently unfinished, so if Amazon does announce it we wouldn't expect too many details. But at this point we would expect it to run a forked version of Android 4.0 as the leaked Kindle Fires seem to do, and to include Nokia Maps as the location solution — forking Android means Amazon can't use Google Maps, and Nokia spoke today of adding a "major" mapping partner at its own Windows Phone event.
Unfortunately we don't have many other details at this time, but we're scrambling for more — and we'll be live from LA at Amazon's event tomorrow, so we'll find out soon enough.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/5/32...n-phone-confirmed-could-be-announced-tomorrow

 

[Calidude]

Ironic considering his icon. And apparently he's never heard of the Kindle Fire and the impact it had on the iPad, or lack thereof anyway.

Android never had much of an effect on the tablet market, but its having a massive effect on the phone market.

Sorry, but if Amazon releases a phone at a rock-bottom price, unlocked and ready for any carrier, along with a bit of the Amazon cloud for each customer to keep their stuff in and of course including their app store, you'd have to be blind not to see that this phone will register a big hit on the phone industry.

Just think of the millions of people everyday that go to the Amazon homepage. That phone will be prominently displayed right there under the Amazon search bar, unlocked and sent to your door at a tiny cost, basically an Android phone that doesn't need Google...it will sell like hotcakes.

 

[Oletros]

Amazon has already lost a ton of money on the Kindle Dud and now they are about to lose a ton more.

Source?

----------

-It will use Nokia maps.
-Google Voice won't matter because its a low cost phone already.
-Gmail wasn't on iOS but people use Gmail just fine on iOS without the app even today.
-Voice search will probably use Bing voice.
-Now is useless, just like Siri.
-Talk is useless since this is about a low cost phone, so people will text prepaid and you can use -Whatsapp, Imo, Kakao, and the dozen other IM clients.
-Google Music is useless, this is an Amazon phone anyway so it will use Amazon music.
-Translate is a minor service that not many people use, especially on the phone.
-Dropbox > Drive and besides, Amazon will probably give you free storage.
-Googles are a useless gimmick.
-Google+ is a joke.

You're joking, don't you?

 

[Calidude]

You're joking, don't you?

Not at all. Most Google services are not essential for most people. Most people just use Search, Gmail and Maps and to a lesser extent Calendar and Docs. It's the 3rd party apps that fill up most of your phone.

 

[Jhowland]

Can I just point out that if this phone becomes popular then a "mainstream" rooting option and ROM that will allow you to have (almost) vanilla android on your phone. Anyone who couldn't go through the relatively simple process of rooting a phone and flashing a ROM onto it would be able to use the out-of-the-box or downloadable apps (they WILL include a maps app, they WILL include a email client capable of gmail, they WILL provide some way to use google+ either out of the box or by way of a downloadable app ect.)

 

[maflynn]

I don't see this gaining much traction. Not having some of the google apps that make android a successful platform will only frustrate consumers.

I wonder how locked down it will be, i.e., locked or encrypted bootloader.

People say that competition is good, and I'm not disagreeing but I see this impacting android phone makers, i.e., HTC more then it impacting iPhone sales. I don't think this phone will extend android's reach but rather just steal sales from existing android makers.

 

[Calidude]

I don't see this gaining much traction. Not having some of the google apps that make android a successful platform will only frustrate consumers.

iOS has no Google apps. What makes you think Amazon won't have solutions for customers that work in the same vein as what iOS did? Are you forgetting how many people use Amazon S3 every day? They could easily have a backend along with essential services if they wanted.

http://aws.amazon.com/s3/

I wonder how locked down it will be, i.e., locked or encrypted bootloader.

It will less locked down than iOS, that's for sure.

People say that competition is good, and I'm not disagreeing but I see this impacting android phone makers, i.e., HTC more then it impacting iPhone sales. I don't think this phone will extend android's reach but rather just steal sales from existing android makers.

It certainly will not steal the high end customers who want the latest and greatest iPhone, but it will certainly steal buyers who are considering iPhone for a cheap price, namely those who buy the old iPhone because its selling for free or for 99 bucks from a carrier. Couple that with Amazon's customer service, shipping and huge presence online as well as with their Amazon Wireless platform, well...I think a lot of people will see Amazon as viable alternative to Apple's post-purchase services.

I'd go so far as to say that with Amazon's resources, they'll probably ship a phone unlocked for only $349 and free if you have a 2 year contract. A lot of people will sooner buy that than an old locked iPhone for free.

 

[maflynn]

iOS has no Google apps. What makes you think Amazon won't have solutions for customers that work in the same vein as what iOS did?

The difference is people will be comparing this to other android phones and it lacks what what other android phones have.

It will less locked down than iOS, that's for sure.

Apples and oranges, comparing against other android phones having it locked down will garner negative reviews (official and/or word of mouth).

It certainly will not steal the high end customers who want the latest and greatest iPhone, but it will certainly steal buyers who are considering iPhone for a cheap price, namely those who buy the old iPhone because its selling for free or for 99 bucks from a carrier. Couple that with Amazon's customer service, shipping and huge presence online as well as with their Amazon Wireless platform, well...I think a lot of people will see Amazon as viable alternative to Apple's post-purchase services.

You seem fixated on what apple is doing and knocking them as well. I don't see this stealing sales from apple, but rather other android carriers.

 

[cynics]

Joy, an Amazon phone. Should have the dev support of the fire. A lot of work rooting an such to have access to what many claim to be a mediocre at best app store. That will be nice when an app doesn't work because you won't have to worry about them fixing it because your unsupported device shouldn't have it anyway.

I'm not saying it will be a flop cause it might do well. However this would by far be the least appealing phone on the market too me.

 

[maflynn]

I'm not saying it will be a flop cause it might do well. However this would by far be the least appealing phone on the market too me.

The question is, what will the average consumer who is looking for a new phone think of it. Since most of us are not average consumers its hard to say how they'll receive it. There is a certain level of brand recognition with amazon. I agree for an android phone its lacking quite a bit, but that may not matter to consumers. Only time will tell.

 

[Calidude]

The difference is people will be comparing this to other android phones and it lacks what what other android phones have.

Unless it follows the iOS model. After all, it will not be a completely free and open phone.

Apples and oranges, comparing against other android phones having it locked down will garner negative reviews (official and/or word of mouth).

Locking down Apple phones hasn't stopped them from selling them like hotcakes has it?

You seem fixated on what apple is doing and knocking them as well. I don't see this stealing sales from apple, but rather other android carriers.

This phone will be locked down in the direction that Apple is currently at, yes less so. It will be easy to use because let's face it, Amazon sells to the average consumer. If anything, this phone will be more like an iPhone than a typical Android phone, and that's why it will steal iPhone sales too.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Is the point of an Amazon phone really the OS? That looks just like a few phones on the market today. Not dissing, I am very curious about an Amazon phone and with their brand recognition, I sort of wonder how well this could do.

 

[Calidude]

The press conference is happening now.

http://live.theverge.com/amazon-kindle-fire-paperwhite-reader-event-live/

 

[Mac.World]

I forgot you run a technology news website and actually write about this stuff for a living. I seemed to have misplaced your website from my favorites, got a link?

So how you liking those unnamed (but "confirmed") sources from the Verge now? PT Barnum was right about one being born every minute. Maybe next time consider the source of an Internet rumor. The Verge makes crap up every day.

 

[Calidude]

Haha mac.world was right. I do wish Amazon had done a phone like that to shake things up though. Would have spurred both Google and Apple to keep innovating.

 

[basesloaded190]

So how you liking those unnamed (but "confirmed") sources from the Verge now? PT Barnum was right about one being born every minute. Maybe next time consider the source of an Internet rumor. The Verge makes crap up every day.

Feel better now dontcha?