Tomorrow Amazon is expected to take the wraps off of its smartphone, finally introducing us all to the device that’s been the subject of countless rumors lately. However, when it arrives on shelves, it sounds like only select consumers will actually be able to buy Amazon’s phone.
Sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal say that AT&T will exclusively carry the Amazon smartphone. AT&T already provides the wireless service used by Amazon’s Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets.
We’ve heard rumblings that AT&T could be the exclusive carrier of the Amazon phone, but today that claim has gotten a big boost of support. It’s also been said that Amazon could cover the costs of the data consumed by the phone’s owners when they access Amazon services, but today’s report contained no details on that matter.
While it seems as though we’ve mostly gotten away from carrier exclusives in the U.S., AT&T has managed to score exclusivity on some devices like the HTC First and HTC Status. Neither of those phones sold terribly well, though, and so it’s possible that the Amazon phone could fall to a similar fate. If Amazon’s goal with this phone is to boost consumer interaction with Amazon and its services, teaming with AT&T doesn’t seem like the wisest move.
The Amazon smartphone will reportedly begin shipping by the end of September. It’s said that the device will utilize a set of four front-facing cameras as well as “retina-tracking technology” to show images that appear to be in 3D and help the user navigate the phone’s UI. The Amazon phone is also expected to include a 4.7-inch 720p display and Snapdragon processor.
What do you think of today’s news? Would you check out the Amazon phone if it came to your carrier?
