As long as we're doing polls... Kindle phone?

[uli2000]

If the Fire is a success, I think it will only be a matter of time until we see a Kindle phone. Get a cheap OEM partner like ZTE or Huiwei, run a skinned version of Android like the fire, and do a deal like the special offer Kindles to run background ads in exchange for a percentage off your monthly phone bill. You could connect you phone account to your Amazon account and use Amazon Payments for NFC purchases.

 

[manly]

Hmmmm they already have some kind of 3g experience with the kindles. I wonder what kind of splash they could make with a $200 no-contract phone running a stripped down Android OS and selling a $50 pre-pay plan with unlimited texting, 200-400 minutes of voice a month and 1 gig of data with non-retarded overage fees.

I'm not seeing a competitive advantage here, is Amazon Wireless currently one of the nation's top resellers?

The main problem is that trying to break the big U.S. carriers' stranglehold has been tried and failed by no less than Apple and Google. Amazon has even less leverage than those giants at bringing the European mobile industry model over to the U.S.

 

[kubani1]

Wishful thinking. Android, iOS and WP7 have have the smartphone market covered. Penetrating a smartphone market that's about to adopt quad core CPU's and HD screens and relies on fully mature ecosystems? Not a chance.

There may be a niche market of those who inexplicably get aroused at the thought of a non gaaps version of Android but that market is way too small to generate significant sales. If it doesn't have free navigation and no access to Android Market's 500k apps, it won't fly with the smartphone users.

Though a nicely designed Amazon feature phone with some additional perks could capture sales.

well, that depends, no one would have thought that apple could break into the mobile phone world, and they changed the game, equally, Android wasn't expected to make such a hit when it followed suit, and google also had no experience with mobile phones.

Saying it can't be done and that their app market is too small is naive at best. It may be difficult and a long shot, but if anyone has the chance of breaking into the market with inexpensive fast devices, Amazon would be my best bet.

Though I would never get one, the data collection of the silk browser makes google look like a saint.

 

[shortylickens]

Wishful thinking. Android, iOS and WP7 have have the smartphone market covered. Penetrating a smartphone market that's about to adopt quad core CPU's and HD screens and relies on fully mature ecosystems? Not a chance.

There may be a niche market of those who inexplicably get aroused at the thought of a non gaaps version of Android but that market is way too small to generate significant sales. If it doesn't have free navigation and no access to Android Market's 500k apps, it won't fly with the smartphone users.

Though a nicely designed Amazon feature phone with some additional perks could capture sales.

People got the color Nook specifically to root it and install whatever they damn well please. I suspect the Fire will be the same and if they made a phone, probably that too.

 

[Pliablemoose]

People got the color Nook specifically to root it and install whatever they damn well please. I suspect the Fire will be the same and if they made a phone, probably that too.

I hadn't thought of that, but yeah, rootted and rommed, it would be pretty popular.

 

[badb0y]

Wishful thinking. Android, iOS and WP7 have have the smartphone market covered. Penetrating a smartphone market that's about to adopt quad core CPU's and HD screens and relies on fully mature ecosystems? Not a chance.

There may be a niche market of those who inexplicably get aroused at the thought of a non gaaps version of Android but that market is way too small to generate significant sales. If it doesn't have free navigation and no access to Android Market's 500k apps, it won't fly with the smartphone users.

Though a nicely designed Amazon feature phone with some additional perks could capture sales.

The beauty of it is Amazon has been nurturing it's ecosystem within Apple and specifically Android devices for a while now(Amazon App Store, Kindle, Amazon MP3 Store etc). They have a pretty good ecosystem as it is, they just need a device to get it to the customers like the Kindle Fire or a Kindle phone.

 

[Fire&Blood]

well, that depends, no one would have thought that apple could break into the mobile phone world, and they changed the game, equally, Android wasn't expected to make such a hit when it followed suit, and google also had no experience with mobile phones.

Saying it can't be done and that their app market is too small is naive at best. It may be difficult and a long shot, but if anyone has the chance of breaking into the market with inexpensive fast devices, Amazon would be my best bet.

Though I would never get one, the data collection of the silk browser makes google look like a saint.

Absolutely true. But don't you think that with each market entrance of these now established competitors, it got progressively harder for new candidates to gain traction as well? WP7, iOS and Android have all price points covered and between the 3 there is enough variety to cover even the niche markets.

People got the color Nook specifically to root it and install whatever they damn well please. I suspect the Fire will be the same and if they made a phone, probably that too.

True as well. But if people buy Amazon's products to root them and install other OS's or stock Android doesn't that expose Amazon's fail? Should they have gone with those other OS's stock, out of factory, wouldn't they grab more market share that way? And the crowd that buys Amazon products only to alter them, is that crowd big enough to make an impact?

The beauty of it is Amazon has been nurturing it's ecosystem within Apple and specifically Android devices for a while now(Amazon App Store, Kindle, Amazon MP3 Store etc). They have a pretty good ecosystem as it is, they just need a device to get it to the customers like the Kindle Fire or a Kindle phone.

I wouldn't label hanging out in iOS/Android hallways as "a pretty good ecosystem"

They don't have their own ecosystem because they realize that it's very difficult to pull that off now. I am sure Samsung would rather have bada OS on all of it's devices but they can't capture market that way. I don't see anyone trying to put bada on their SGS2 or the tab after purchasing them. Hanging out in iOS/Android hallways is still a presence, better than none at all but that's it.

Free navigation and full access to the Android market are important. I don't think devs are happy to see their app sell less in Amazon store compared to the market. I wouldn't be happy to see my app get 100 downloads a day and that number skyrockets the day Amazon givea my app away for free.

Both the fire and the future phone are welcome to prove me wrong. But the smartphone market is already tough, even for those with high end phones and established ecosystems.

IMO, a good value feature phone gives them a better chance to make sales with the non smartphone crowd. This whole "it's Android but it isn't" dance isn't going to get them very far.

 

[kubani1]

Absolutely true. But don't you think that with each market entrance of these now established competitors, it got progressively harder for new candidates to gain traction as well? WP7, iOS and Android have all price points covered and between the 3 there is enough variety to cover even the niche markets.

true, it will be more difficult if they try to offer it in the same way, maybe amazon have a trick up their sleeve to make the experience of looking for apps more enjoyable.

hell, if they just made it easier to search for apps that might give them the push they need to get people to move to their ecosystem, i have never used the ios app store on a mobile device, but the android market sucks when searching for specific apps and even for just browsing it's... well, it just isn't nice. the biggest seller for most of these devices is ease of use, and if amazon can nail that on the head, then i believe they have a shot, hell, they have the easiest to use online shopping experience in the world, if they can make their app market the same, keep the price point on the phone low, with cutting edge internal hardware and a smooth UI, then they are golden (although combining all of that will be difficult as piss)

i'm still scared of silk though.

 

[gotsmack]

How about this:

A 4"-5" e-ink touch screen phone that makes calls, does SMS, wifi, and kindle stuff
(read books and take notes, maybe throw in a free spreadsheet app and e-mail) and it's free with contract or cheap off contract. Free 3g to buy kindle books or order stuff off amazon's website.

If not a 4-5" touch screen maybe a HTC cha cha or palm pixi like device with an e-ink screen.


Old people and the few young people (I know a 30 year old mech engineer that hates smart phones) that don't like smart phones will eat this up.

 

[gorcorps]

How about this:

A 4"-5" e-ink touch screen phone that makes calls, does SMS, wifi, and kindle stuff
(read books and take notes, maybe throw in a free spreadsheet app and e-mail) and it's free with contract or cheap off contract. Free 3g to buy kindle books or order stuff off amazon's website.

If not a 4-5" touch screen maybe a HTC cha cha or palm pixi like device with an e-ink screen.


Old people and the few young people (I know a 30 year old mech engineer that hates smart phones) that don't like smart phones will eat this up.

No, an e-ink display would be awful for most phone functions. Web browsing, games, media, etc all rendered basically useless by an e-ink only display. Nobody would buy it.

I don't see this happening at all. The market is already heavily saturated with companies that have much more experience doing this. I believe Amazon has something going for it with their app store and ebook apps, but IMO that's as far into android they really need to go. The Fire will do well enough and that's about where they should end hardware wise. They may do well with a 10" tablet too, but I just don't see how they'd be able to break in to the market.

 

[podspi]

What about a dual-type of screen like these?


I've been waiting for something to come out utilizing these screens. Honestly I wish a smartphone would come out using one... It is near impossible using most screens outside on a sunny day.

 

[gotsmack]

No, an e-ink display would be awful for most phone functions. Web browsing, games, media, etc all rendered basically useless by an e-ink only display. Nobody would buy it.

I don't see this happening at all. The market is already heavily saturated with companies that have much more experience doing this. I believe Amazon has something going for it with their app store and ebook apps, but IMO that's as far into android they really need to go. The Fire will do well enough and that's about where they should end hardware wise. They may do well with a 10" tablet too, but I just don't see how they'd be able to break in to the market.

No this isn't supposed to compete on the smart phone market.

An E-ink phone is suppose to compete with the dumb phones. Think Kindle + dumb phone. No data plan required and if you wanted to check e-mail on the phone and do text only internet, then you can get the 200 MB plan.