Amazon to Launch Smartphone in Second Quarter of 2013
Amazon will launch its very own smartphone during the second quarter of this year.
The company will launch a device with a 4.7-inch screen in order to compete with many of the top players in the smartphone market including Samsung, Apple, and HTC, according to a DigiTimes report.
Amazon was considering launching a handset that was 4.3 inches, but recently changed its mind and decided to go with something bigger. The company is also working on enhancing other current specifications on the device, according to the report. The changes could be the reason why these rumors are beginning to surface.
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Amazon is currently aiming to launch the smartphone during the second quarter, but its progress with its manufacturing partner Foxconn has been a bit slow so its official release might get pushed back.
Amazon is also rumored to be launching a Kindle Fire HD variant that will cost just $99, according to TechCrunch.
The device will be a 7-inch tablet that will come with the same TI processor as other Kindle Fire variants. It will also be $100 cheaper than the current Kindle Fire HD model.
Amazon has denied these plans to create a Kindle Fire HD at this price point, but with the prices of parts going down, there is a strong possibility it could happen.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 price dropped in the U.S. recently.
Amazon issued a press release earlier this month stating that the price of the device will now be $269 for the Wi-Fi only version and the 4G model will cost $399.
"We're thrilled with customer reaction to Kindle Fire HD 8.9. Customers tell us they love our large-screen version of Kindle Fire HD for web browsing, email, gaming, watching TV shows, reading magazines, and more," said Dave Limp, Vice President for Amazon Kindle.
