Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle Fire range of devices have sold in the millions, and natural progression suggests a branded smartphone to be something of an inevitability. Tying in with various rumors in recent times, it would appear Amazon’s first handset may already be in production, with reports touting a release during the midpoint of next year.
Samsung and Apple are considerably ahead of rivalling vendors when it comes to smartphone shipments, but considering how well consumers have taken to Amazon’s existing fleet of mobile efforts, one suspects the online retailer will have a point or two to make once again.
Such is the fast-moving nature of our technological spectrum, that no company is expected to focus merely on one project, and once you start dabbling in mobile space, the rumor mill will always paint you as a potential smartphone vendor.
Reports stemming from the Taiwan Economic News suggests the company is utilizing – of all the manufacturers – Foxconn in order to produce units in high volumes. Amazon has supposedly ordered 5 million units from the China-based company – famed for its continual churning out of Apple’s products – and the price point of the Amazon smartphone is said to be in the region of $100 to $200.
That sure is aggressive pricing, although we’d expect nothing different from a company that has forged a consumer base on offering its gadgets cheaper than other OEMs. Lest we forget, the original Kindle Fire was the first tablet to present consumers with a reasonably-priced alternative to the competition, and although the device itself had quite a few flaws, the upgrade in the Kindle Fire HD offers an altogether more advanced user experience.
Amazon has played the game expertly, and having helped the mid-range tablet market rise to prominence, now has all the necessary tools in place to do the same with its smartphone. The Amazon Appstore is waiting in the wings – jam-packed with the latest apps and games – and although, we should not expect a direct competitor to the Galaxy S or iPhone ranges for the price point suggested, the numbers Amazon is said to be demanding from Foxconn imply Amazon means business.
No details are yet known with regards to specs, but we’ll have that – and any other tidbits – as they leak; so stay tuned.
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