An Amazon smartphone has been rumoured for a looong time, since before the Kindle Fire arrived. Indeed, at one point, we were pretty much expecting a 7in tablet, a 10in tablet, and a smartphone to drop at the same time.
Of course, for now all we’ve got is the 7in Amazon Kindle Fire, but those smartphone rumours are back, man.
The latest Amazon smartphone rumour bonfire is fuelled by ABI Research analyst Aapo Markkanen. There’s an Aapo for that.
In an email to Wired, Aapo yells: “A smartphone would be a logical next step for Amazon.” Or maybe a 10in tablet, big man?
The Kindle Fire has sold like hotcakes in the US, priced $199, with a customised version of Android and tailored for Amazon’s own apps, such as the Amazon Android Marketplace. Not always a huge hit with critics, but consumers are lapping it up.
Aapo expects the Amazon smartphone to offer similar functionality. “The lock-in effect of a great content ecosystem shouldn’t be under-estimated, “ suggests Aapo.
“If Amazon builds up a sizable customer base for its devices, and many of those customers find its content offerings appealing enough, then that would mean a tougher market environment for Apple, as well.”
Time will tell, I guess. Meanwhile, in the UK, we’re still waiting for the Amazon Kindle Fire…
