If the rumours and leaks are to be believed, Amazon is preparing to launch its first smartphone. Here's everything there is to know about its release date, price and features.
Amazon has had relative success with its range of Kindle Fire tablets, and the new smartphone will undoubtedly use the company's Fire operating system, which is a highly customised version of Google Android. See also: 28 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2014
It might look like many other smartphones today, but the latest image from BGR shows a front-facing camera placed at each corner of the screen. These will track your eyes to monitor exactly where they're looking and adjust the image on-screen to provide a "3D" experience without the need for any special glasses.
Previous to the image above, which Amazon is said to have been working on for years, the only photo of the upcoming device was of a phone in a shell case which prevented the design from being seen. If the image above, which is a rendering created by Amazon's graphic designers, is genuinely of the finished product, then it will look like a lot of existing Android phones. It's something of a cross between the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC's smartphones.
Amazon is reportedly working on at least two smartphones with a cheaper budget handset supposedly launching after the 3D model which we're looking at here.
Amazon smartphone: Release date
Many sources say Amazon will unveil the smartphone in June, which means it could be just days away. Production is thought to have begun with an initial order of 600,000 devices with Japan Display being one of the main component manufacturers.
However, although the device could be revealed this month, reports suggests that the handset won't hit the shops until September.
Amazon smartphone: Price
There's no word on a price yet for the Amazon smartphone but it's likely that, following on from the Kindle Fire tablets, it will sell the device at an affordable price point – somewhere in the mid-range seems most probable.
Don't expect the handset to be too budget friendly given the advanced retina-tracking technology. BGR reports that the Amazon smartphone will be initially available in the US only.
Amazon smartphone: Specs
With the BGR leak, we've got some details on the smartphone such as a reported 4.7in screen with a 720p HD resolution. It will also be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and have 2GB of RAM.
The four front-facing cameras use infrared according to BGR's sources, and have a VGA (640x480 resolution). These will all accurately track your retina movements and result in a glasses-free 3D effect which is being likened to a hologram.
"Since the 3D interface is the phone’s biggest point of differentiation, Amazon has tried to use its new technology in as many areas as possible. In fact, right from the start on the lock screen, Amazon’s new phone will include several special wallpapers with perspectives that shift as the user tilts the phone from side to side as well as up and down." says BGR.
This will extend to app icons and other parts of the interface and even Amazon's stores for digital content. "By shifting the position of the phone, users are able to see three-dimensional product images at different angles to reveal surfaces that cannot be seen in 2D photos."
It's camera-tastic since there will also be the usual front and rear cameras for taking photos and videos. The main camera is set to be 13Mp and the front is thought to be not far behind at a whopping 12Mp.
The Fire OS software will obviously need modifying to add phone and text messaging functions, but we expect it to look very similar to the version which runs on the Kindle Fire tablets.
As more information arrives, we’ll update this article to let you know. Until then, let us know what you think of the Amazon smartphone in the comments below.
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