Regular readers will recall that a few days ago we brought news that Amazon could expand its ecosystem with a new smartphone. After the success of its Kindle Fire tablet it would seem a logical step to move into the smartphone market and we told of reports that Amazon was already working on a phone. Today we have more news for you about Amazon’s smart phone testing and mass production.
Moving into an already-crowded smartphone market that is heavily dominated at the moment by Samsung and Apple will in no way be easy for Amazon but a major company has to stand more of a chance than others so Amazon must feel it’s worth the investment and the risk. We had heard that Amazon was already in the process of obtaining necessary wireless technology patents and now we hear that it is already working with component suppliers in Asia and actually testing a smartphone. As well as this, sources from Amazon’s part suppliers have told how an Amazon smartphone could go into mass production as early as later this year or the beginning of 2013.
According to the WSJ one source said that the screen size of Amazon’s smartphone is expected to be between 4 and 5-inches but other than that, very little else seems to have leaked out so far. Of course if Amazon is planning mass production and can ramp it up for later this year then Apple’s iPhone 5 could find some more competition. The iPhone 5 is expected to launch in the fall and although we don’t expect an Amazon phone to necessarily be a high-end device its cheaply priced Kindle Fire tablet that has seen huge success is evidence that a device doesn’t have to include the very top specs to be a hit. Therefore high-end handsets such as the iPhone 5 could still lose out on some sales.
With global shipments of smartphones expected to grow to 686 million units this year according to IDC, the market certainly seems to be worth making a bid to enter and we shall be waiting to see what Amazon comes up with as its first smartphone contender. Of course, as it did with the Kindle Fire tablet Amazon could offer the phone at a low price with hardly any profit on devices sales, in order to make profit from digital sales of content and so reasonable pricing for its phone could well give it an edge.
We’re really interested to hear what our readers think about Amazon’s venture into the smartphone market. Do you think Amazon has a chance of successfully entering the smartphone world? Would you be interested in an Amazon phone? Let us know with your comments.