New Amazon Device, June 18th

[Ravynmagi]

Amazon posted their announcement on YouTube, so you can watch the entire 90 minute presentation... I thought maybe if I watched this I might get more excited. I'm easily excited by new gadgets after all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w95kwXy_MOY

I sat through most of this (fast forwarded past the dumb customer testimonials). I admit, the way they are doing 3D is pretty cool. It looks well done. But I'm still not buying a phone for this reason. It's seems like a gimmick. I think this will be a really hard thing to sell to users. So unfortunately watching the entire video didn't brain wash me into liking this.

 

[nexus5rocks]

Bias aside, why would anyone get this over a Nexus 5?
Amazon content? Mayday?

 

[Ravynmagi]

Bias aside, why would anyone get this over a Nexus 5?
Amazon content? Mayday?

I love Amazon, I'm a Prime subscriber. I've even bought a Kindle Fire despite already having a Nexus 7, because I actually am one of the few people on Earth that likes Fire OS and how it presents Amazon content to me.

I actually thought I'd be buying a Fire Phone this morning. But there is no freaking way I'd spend $650 on this phone.

I really don't get why Amazon didn't take a strategy that seems to have worked well for them, they bragged about how well the Fire tablets have done. Make a decent but affordable $300 phone, add that cool Firefly feature, and try to get this into the hands of as many Prime subscribers as they can to help them sell more of their goods and services?

 

[fr]

That tilting shit seems like it would be extremely annoying, especially to the masses.

 

[code65536]

That tilting shit seems like it would be extremely annoying, especially to the masses.

How many people actually hold their phones steady when they read? I was catching up on news while waiting in the checkout line at the store today. Every minute or two, I'm shifting positions as I adjust the load of stuff in my arms (didn't bother with grabbing a cart) and now and then I needed to look up, see what was going on, and move along as the line advanced. If I had this feature, I'd probably be losing my place all the time as I inadvertently scroll.

 

[EvilYoda]

I think too many people got swept with the "OMG 3D interface!" aspect...to the final consumer, I think that the biggest and most used feature will be Firefly. Everyone's just glancing over it but the ability for your phone to hear or see "any" TV show, movie, song, book, etc, and identify, supply information, and ideally purchase from Amazon - that's the big deal here.

I agree that the phone itself looks like they're not even trying aside from a nice camera module.

 

[rockyct]

I think too many people got swept with the "OMG 3D interface!" aspect...to the final consumer, I think that the biggest and most used feature will be Firefly. Everyone's just glancing over it but the ability for your phone to hear or see "any" TV show, movie, song, book, etc, and identify, supply information, and ideally purchase from Amazon - that's the big deal here.

I agree that the phone itself looks like they're not even trying aside from a nice camera module.

Yeah...I don't need Firefly. Music makes sense for that but there are many services out there for that. I'm not going to buy a tv show/movie if I'm already watching it. With physical items, the barcode scanner apps work just fine. I don't want my phone to be built on the idea of buying stuff from Amazon without there being a price break. This phone could be successful if it were off contract but at a subsidized price of $400. The free year of Prime does help to some extent but it still does not justify the flagship phone pricing.

 

[code65536]

Let's not forget that Google Goggles already does a lot of Firefly-esque recognition.

 

[gorcorps]

I think too many people got swept with the "OMG 3D interface!" aspect...to the final consumer, I think that the biggest and most used feature will be Firefly. Everyone's just glancing over it but the ability for your phone to hear or see "any" TV show, movie, song, book, etc, and identify, supply information, and ideally purchase from Amazon - that's the big deal here.

I agree that the phone itself looks like they're not even trying aside from a nice camera module.

But doesn't Google Now do most of that already? If you use google now while watching TV it'll load info about what you're watching. It prompted me to do this once because it detected my TV on my network.

edit: Maybe it doesn't work for everybody. This description implies that it'll only work if it prompts you after it detects your TV.
https://plus.google.com/+android/posts/XhbKbbmRvEM

Regardless, there doesn't seem to be anything novel about this phone or features. Everything they mention just seems to be a rehash of a feature already on other devices, just through different technology.

 

[Chiropteran]

It's a cool phone, but the price and the linking to AT&T kills it for me.

I'd consider getting one at a Nexus-like price, like $300 or less unlocked, and even then only if it has all the proper support for T-mobile HSPA+ & LTE bands (maybe it does, I didn't check).

I was really hoping it would be sold with bundled free data like the kindle, it might be worth paying $650 for the phone if it had free limited service like 500mb/month data and 100 minutes of talk time.

Amazon instant video support alone is a pretty nice feature for me, as it's my platform of choice for buying movies these days, but it's not enough on it's own.

 

[sweenish]

I think it's one thing to be completely locked into Amazon and out of Google for a tablet, but a completely different ball game for a phone.

Phones, unlike tablets, are not strictly about content consumption. You have to use it to get stuff done.

No Gmail, no Play Store. You rely on Mapquest and Waze for your mapping/navigation which isn't awful, but probably not quite ideal. I'm not super familiar with how much Amazon's app selection has grown, but how many of the top productivity apps are available with Amazon, and are they updated at the same pace that the Play Store versions are?

A lot of devs release and forget on Amazon.

 

[cronos]

This does look like it has its own special map app, the one that they showed with the 3D and everything. So it's kind of its special feature.

But other than that, I agree. It's not even a question, it's a fact that the Amazon Appstore apps are updated later (sometimes much later) than their Play Store counterparts.

 

[Phokus]

This phone will be a bargain bin phone in a month, just like that HTC Facebook phone. Guarantee it.

 

[Imaginer]

I think it's one thing to be completely locked into Amazon and out of Google for a tablet, but a completely different ball game for a phone.

Phones, unlike tablets, are not strictly about content consumption. You have to use it to get stuff done.

It is specifically why I jumped with a Windows Phone, in tile sizes being standout and the Modern interface also standout and uncluttered with backgrounds and offering a black background to soft text foreground.

In this aspect, if the core communication software (texting, messaging, email access, contacts, social site compatibility, and calender+scheduler) is there, then it is fine. Most importantly, ease and quickness of access while MOVING or out and about.

No Gmail, no Play Store.

Amazon has already leveraged their own app store, when they first had the Kindle Fire. Most likely, the Fire phone would also leverage that same market area. In terms of email, the client can basic access email services one already has. If one wants deep Google integration, then there are already options out there for that.

You rely on Mapquest and Waze

Mapping software of the two isn't bad.

Waze on my phone however constantly pings for information, and thus adding processing usage and generating heat on an already slim HTC 8X of mine. It is a big hog as an app. And the information relies on users sending it in real time - in a driving environment where most drivers shouldn't text or be distracted to send information out - thus Waze in my area isn't all too reliable to a degree.

Also of note, gMaps constantly pings for updates and information.

A lot of devs release and forget on Amazon.

Chicken and egg scenario as I have seen in game console devices of past before. Developers look at market share to jump and expend time and effort, Amazon tries to up that by advertising, consumers are fickle and wait until a device gets enough market share and support... it is a vicious cycle.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Let's not forget that Google Goggles already does a lot of Firefly-esque recognition.

Didn't Google kill off the Goggles feature just a couple months ago?

 

[Imaginer]

It's a cool phone, but the price and the linking to AT&T kills it for me.

And most likely for everyone else either still on contract with another service.

Amazon, Microsoft - both tried to play the AT&T card much like Apple did before. The main problem is, that Apple had the initial "woo-gotta-have-it" factor and there wasn't any other options at the time for that "woo-factor".

Most people were on feature phones which was the prime demographic to begin with - as those who really had smartphones of before (Blackberry, Windows Mobile) were already well established.

It is an uphill battle for any new handset maker, thanks to existing market penetration, existing consumer perception, and consistent advertisement.

 

[AMDZen]

It actually looks decent which is nice since most Android phones look terrible sans the HTC ONE and a few others. Unfortunately the highly customized Android they will put on it will probably completely turn me off.

 

[Doomer]

Gee, I wonder if it has push advertising that can't be turned off.

 

[vi edit]

Gee, I wonder if it has push advertising that can't be turned off.

That's their master plan. A month after this thing bombs they offer a free on contract version with lock screen ads.

 

[Imaginer]

That's their master plan. A month after this thing bombs they offer a free on contract version with lock screen ads.

Combined with the one click ordering that possibly would be in place, then it just might be a potential win for impulse buying...

 

[s44]

No data subsidy? Without it, the carrier exclusivity and price tag make absolutely zero sense.

 

[desura]

No data subsidy? Without it, the carrier exclusivity and price tag make absolutely zero sense.

yeah, this is weird. This phone is about as expensive as an iPhone. I thought Amazon was known for its cut-rate approach.

The 3d sensor thing is neat, but likely a killer of battery life. Probably on the same level as Samsung's various little features.

It would be more interesting in a larger tablet, certainly.

 

[rockyct]

It is specifically why I jumped with a Windows Phone, in tile sizes being standout and the Modern interface also standout and uncluttered with backgrounds and offering a black background to soft text foreground.

In this aspect, if the core communication software (texting, messaging, email access, contacts, social site compatibility, and calender+scheduler) is there, then it is fine. Most importantly, ease and quickness of access while MOVING or out and about.



Amazon has already leveraged their own app store, when they first had the Kindle Fire. Most likely, the Fire phone would also leverage that same market area. In terms of email, the client can basic access email services one already has. If one wants deep Google integration, then there are already options out there for that.



Mapping software of the two isn't bad.

Waze on my phone however constantly pings for information, and thus adding processing usage and generating heat on an already slim HTC 8X of mine. It is a big hog as an app. And the information relies on users sending it in real time - in a driving environment where most drivers shouldn't text or be distracted to send information out - thus Waze in my area isn't all too reliable to a degree.

Also of note, gMaps constantly pings for updates and information.



Chicken and egg scenario as I have seen in game console devices of past before. Developers look at market share to jump and expend time and effort, Amazon tries to up that by advertising, consumers are fickle and wait until a device gets enough market share and support... it is a vicious cycle.

On my Nokia 928, Waze just destroys battery life although it seems to have gotten better lately. I figure it's mainly because Windows Phone is just an afterthought to them. The Here maps on Nokia phones are great though. Worldwide downloadable maps that get frequent updates.

 

[desura]

On my Nokia 928, Waze just destroys battery life although it seems to have gotten better lately. I figure it's mainly because Windows Phone is just an afterthought to them. The Here maps on Nokia phones are great though. Worldwide downloadable maps that get frequent updates.

I think stuff like waze is why Apple made the m7 motion coprocessor?

 

[kaerflog]

There are so many FAILs about this phone that I don't know where to start.
The HD2 released in 2009 was a better looking phone than this one.
Who in the hell would want to buy this thing vs iPhone/GS5/G3, etc.....with the same price of $199.