US-based ★ Amazon to launch its first smartphone, aiming to integrate with online shopping

Amazon's first smartphone, the Fire Phone, will launch on July 25. Its key features include a 3D screen that recognizes products, books, music, and links to online purchases, plus gesture-based controls. It's exclusively available through AT&T, priced at $199 for the 32GB model and $299 for the 64GB model with a two-year contract.

The "Dynamic Perspective" feature uses camera sensors in the four corners of the device's front to achieve a three-dimensional, depth-enhanced display. It constantly recognizes the device's movement and orientation, automatically correcting the image. This feature seems particularly useful for games and map apps. The gesture control functionality is also robust, allowing users to perform many operations with one hand without touching the screen. For example, tilting the device left or right displays detailed information or navigation, while tilting it forward or backward scrolls pages.

"Firefly" is a feature particularly characteristic of Amazon, the world's largest online retailer. By holding the device over everyday items like food, detergent, or books, it recognizes the product and instantly links to Amazon's online store. Furthermore, it can recognize over 100 million items including music, TV shows, and movies, allowing users to download content or check information. It can also capture information like email addresses or phone numbers printed on physical materials without the hassle of manual input.

The camera function is also touted as superior to competitors like the iPhone, with Amazon emphasizing unlimited image storage via its cloud service. Another perk is a free one-year subscription to Amazon Prime, the company's paid membership service.

For the Fire Phone to gain user support, a robust app ecosystem is essential. In June, Amazon announced that apps for its Kindle Fire tablet series reached 240,000, but this falls far short of Apple and Google's respective offerings exceeding 1.2 million. With the Fire Phone launch imminent, Amazon appears focused on incentivizing development, such as launching a program paying $6 per 1,000 impressions for newly developed apps.

The Fire Phone's price defies most expectations with an aggressive setting, yet CEO Jeff Bezos confidently describes its arrival as a "mobile renaissance." He also emphasizes that the goal isn't merely to make a smartphone, but to provide the best service for Amazon Prime members. Attention now turns to whether this business model, integrated with online retail, will prove a strength in the fiercely competitive mobile market.

Source: Ad Age
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