New Amazon Device, June 18th

[poofyhairguy]

The only people I see buying this are the folks too fearful to get a smartphone without Mayday.

Yeah forget the smartphone for mom, this is the smartphone for Amazon employees.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Huge bezels without the excuse of speakers.

Yeah, the dynamic perspective sensors are there but why such a huge area of space? That's just odd looking to me

 

[Dulanic]

Not impressed. Not at all.

 

[cronos]

As a Prime subscriber, owner of a Fire HDX and Fire TV, and all in all as close to an Amazon fanboy as could be (if not actually is one) , I say:

WTF AMAZON!

Terrible, terrible decision with the AT&T exclusivity. I was hoping that the rumors about this yesterday was just rumors, but it turns out they're not. We knew that the damn thing will already start from behind because there'll be no Play Store, why the hell do you need to put it at an even more disadvantage by making it exclusive to one single carrier? This is not 2007!

You are basically banking on the 3D thing (gimmick), the instant live support (situationally useful), the Firefly (cool, but is it really *that* useful?) and the Amazon 'ecosystem' (video, music, shop) to carry the phone, which is probably a legitimate strategy to sell an Amazon phone. However, selling this phone exclusive on AT&T, with mediocre hardware but prime flagship pricing? ARE YOU CRAZY?

 

[richierich1212]

However, selling this phone exclusive on AT&T, with mediocre hardware but prime flagship pricing? ARE YOU CRAZY?

This. Who are they trying to target with this phone? Because most folks don't care about 3D tech on small screens.

 

[Bateluer]

As a Prime subscriber, owner of a Fire HDX and Fire TV, and all in all as close to an Amazon fanboy as could be (if not actually is one) , I say:

WTF AMAZON!

Terrible, terrible decision with the AT&T exclusivity. I was hoping that the rumors about this yesterday was just rumors, but it turns out they're not. We knew that the damn thing will already start from behind because there'll be no Play Store, why the hell do you need to put it at an even more disadvantage by making it exclusive to one single carrier? This is not 2007!

You are basically banking on the 3D thing (gimmick), the instant live support (situationally useful), the Firefly (cool, but is it really *that* useful?) and the Amazon 'ecosystem' (video, music, shop) to carry the phone, which is probably a legitimate strategy to sell an Amazon phone. However, selling this phone exclusive on AT&T, with mediocre hardware but prime flagship pricing? ARE YOU CRAZY?

Take heart. It'll be 99 cents in a month. :lol:

 

[Kenmitch]

This thread is too funny....Most of you spec nerds wouldn't even buy the phone based on it's specs. Wining about being an AT&T exclusive seems kind of silly to me. Not the 1st and I doubt it'll be the last carrier exclusive phone.

The phone does have some interesting features that may be appealing to others.

Time will tell if it's a flop or not....I doubt it's downfall will be AT&T's doing if so.

 

[ponyo]

DOA. If Amazon can sell this turd for $650, Bezos is the best salesman/con man.

 

[ponyo]

This thread is too funny....Most of you spec nerds wouldn't even buy the phone based on it's specs. Wining about being an AT&T exclusive seems kind of silly to me. Not the 1st and I doubt it'll be the last carrier exclusive phone.

The phone does have some interesting features that may be appealing to others.

Time will tell if it's a flop or not....I doubt it's downfall will be AT&T's doing if so.

This is a $300 phone being sold for $650. That's not the Amazon way. I could overlook lot of things if this was priced at $300 or $0 subsidized and maybe 2 years of free Prime thrown in to people locked into 2 yr AT&T contract. But $650 or $200 subsidized for this turd phone is laughable.

 

[Commodus]

This thread is too funny....Most of you spec nerds wouldn't even buy the phone based on it's specs. Wining about being an AT&T exclusive seems kind of silly to me. Not the 1st and I doubt it'll be the last carrier exclusive phone.

The phone does have some interesting features that may be appealing to others.

Time will tell if it's a flop or not....I doubt it's downfall will be AT&T's doing if so.

I don't think the AT&T exclusivity matters all that much. However, the Fire does smack of "classic" AT&T exclusives like the HTC First and Status: a phone full of novelty features, masterminded by an internet company with an overinflated sense of its public worth.

To me, it's one thing to push for exclusives from companies like Apple, Nokia and even BlackBerry. They're marketing whole platforms. But Amazon and Facebook? At best, they're experimenting... at worst, they're oblivious to what people want from smartphones.

 

[Kenmitch]

I don't think the AT&T exclusivity matters all that much. However, the Fire does smack of "classic" AT&T exclusives like the HTC First and Status: a phone full of novelty features, masterminded by an internet company with an overinflated sense of its public worth.

To me, it's one thing to push for exclusives from companies like Apple, Nokia and even BlackBerry. They're marketing whole platforms. But Amazon and Facebook? At best, they're experimenting... at worst, they're oblivious to what people want from smartphones.

I'll disagree on throwing Amazon with the likes of Facebook.

Amazon already has a well established eco system. Might not be the one that is of interest to you but it doesn't make it not so.

Everybody who's anybody selling things on the internet wishes they were Amazon.

Seems like people are butt hurt because it's not being sold at cost or a loss on their carrier of choice.

 

[s44]

Amazon already has a well established eco system.

Sure - for consumption. But Amazon has crippled that for the sake of its 3D gimmick. Small low-res screen in a body comparable to the G3 or Note... Just what you want to watch Prime movies on!

 

[Insomniator]

Really don't understand who thinks its a good idea to market a phone based on 3D and primes crappy movie/music selection these days.

3D is probably literally the last thing I care about on a phone.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Seems like people are butt hurt because it's not being sold at cost or a loss on their carrier of choice.

No, not butthurt. We will just ignore it. They had a chance to impress (easily the largest hyped Android phone release this year) and failed.

 

[cronos]

This thread is too funny....Most of you spec nerds wouldn't even buy the phone based on it's specs. Wining about being an AT&T exclusive seems kind of silly to me. Not the 1st and I doubt it'll be the last carrier exclusive phone.

The phone does have some interesting features that may be appealing to others.

Time will tell if it's a flop or not....I doubt it's downfall will be AT&T's doing if so.

It's not the AT&T exclusivity per se, but the fact that because it has this arrangement than they have to treat it like a flagship including the pricing of $200 in contract. Which is BS with the spec that it has.

I was hoping/expecting that this Amazon Phone would be sold Nexus style with no tie in to any particular carrier, at a price point (full price, of course, there's no other way) that's competitive. With that spec, let's say $450. Now suddenly it becomes an interesting phone, and while I'm sure a lot of people will still make fun of it (spec/gimmick feature/etc), but me personally I will defend it because I think that's appropriate.

 

[ponyo]

It's not the AT&T exclusivity per se, but the fact that because it has this arrangement than they have to treat it like a flagship including the pricing of $200 in contract. Which is BS with the spec that it has.

I was hoping/expecting that this Amazon Phone would be sold Nexus style with no tie in to any particular carrier, at a price point (full price, of course, there's no other way) that's competitive. With that spec, let's say $450. Now suddenly it becomes an interesting phone, and while I'm sure a lot of people will still make fun of it (spec/gimmick feature/etc), but me personally I will defend it because I think that's appropriate.

$450 is still too high IMO. Amazon needed to sell this phone at cost to stand any chance. I guess Bezos forgot what happened to Moto X. Or his ego is such that he thinks Amazon can sell anything if they advertise on Amazon front page. My bet is this phone is going to be a huge failure but we won't know the numbers sold because Amazon will keep sales number a secret like all their products.

 

[zerocool84]

This thread is too funny....Most of you spec nerds wouldn't even buy the phone based on it's specs. Wining about being an AT&T exclusive seems kind of silly to me. Not the 1st and I doubt it'll be the last carrier exclusive phone.

The phone does have some interesting features that may be appealing to others.

Time will tell if it's a flop or not....I doubt it's downfall will be AT&T's doing if so.

Because being exclusive on a carrier leaves out millions of customers. There's a reason why phones like the iPhone and Galaxy S are released on every carrier at the same time. The more customers that have access to your device, obviously the more that are able to buy it.

 

[Rakehellion]

What does this phone do that any device with a gyroscope can't do already?

 

[zerocool84]

What does this phone do that any device with a gyroscope can't do already?

The cameras track your face.

 

[gorcorps]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EOE0WKQ

$650 with specs near and no better than a $300 One+one Minus this weird 3d UI jazz

64gb? $750 for fire phone vs $350 for 64gb One+one

While I think this phone is a huge disappointment, comparing it to a phone that isn't even available to the public yet is pretty silly

 

[vi edit]

I think they got cocky with the success of the Kindle and psuedo success of the Fire. Phones are way more trendy than e-readers, and fall into a premium or cheap market like tablets do.

This is neither trendy nor cheap. I figured if they put the effort into the phone they'd go cheap, bare bone prices like the Fires and offer some sort of basic data plan through a subsidized program they offered through their own site.

This thing will be an expensive afterthought in a year.

 

[WelshBloke]

The cameras track your face.

When I'm using it my face is going to be in front of the screen.

 

[cronos]

$450 is still too high IMO. Amazon needed to sell this phone at cost to stand any chance. I guess Bezos forgot what happened to Moto X. Or his ego is such that he thinks Amazon can sell anything if they advertise on Amazon front page. My bet is this phone is going to be a huge failure but we won't know the numbers sold because Amazon will keep sales number a secret like all their products.

Like I said, some people will still bash it at $450, and I understand that. However it's the price point that I personally can start defending the Fire Phone

Oh and I just saw this, the Fire Phone takes nano-SIM. Come on now... :thumbsdown:

 

[Ravynmagi]

While I think this phone is a huge disappointment, comparing it to a phone that isn't even available to the public yet is pretty silly

Well neither is the Fire Phone for that matter. One Plus One is supposedly will open up to the public soon. So might be available before the Fire Phone.

Though I think the Nexus 5 is also a better phone and available since last year for $400 (32GB model).

 

[fr]

I see "3D" all over this thread, but Amazon makes no reference to it being 3D. It seems more like the parallax effect on iOS but instead controlled by you face vs. tilting. Anyway, it's a gimmick.