• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

New Amazon Device, June 18th

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
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?
 
Last edited:
cronos said:
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?
Click to expand...

Take heart. It'll be 99 cents in a month. :lol:
 
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.
 
Kenmitch said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Kenmitch said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Commodus said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Kenmitch said:
Amazon already has a well established eco system.
Click to expand...
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!
 
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.
 
Kenmitch said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
cronos said:
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.
Click to expand...

$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.
 
Kenmitch said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
ponyo said:
$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.
Click to expand...

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:
 
gorcorps said:
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
Click to expand...

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).
 
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top