Neil Hughes
Signs that Amazon plans to enter the smartphone market later this year continue to grow, as newly leaked renders allegedly from the online retailer claim to show the expected final appearance of the company's anticipated 3D-sensing handset.
The product renders, published on Thursday by BGR, are said to have been created by graphic designers working at Amazon. While the 3D motion sensing functionality expected of the device would be unique, its overall look it essentially what's expected of a modern smartphone, and not dissimilar from Apple's own iPhone.
The top of the handset is shown with a touchscreen display, earpiece and single button likely used as a "home" button. On the left side is a SIM tray and three buttons, presumably for volume and perhaps mute or lock.
On the bottom are two grilles, which are most likely for the microphone input and speaker output. In between them is port, assume to be micro USB, while screws are located to the outside.
On the back, the render shows just an Amazon logo and the necessary FCC and other legal information against a black background, in a design particularly reminiscent of Apple's iPhone. The camera, accompanying flash, and what appears to be a rear facing microphone are located at the top right corner, as opposed to their location on the left side of the iPhone.
Not shown in the renders are the multitude of other cameras that are expected to be included in the device, likely hidden under the front glass panel.
AppleInsider exclusively reported last October that Amazon is planning to release a smartphone this year that will include advanced input methods using eye tracking and 3D gestures. In total, Amazon's phone is expected to feature six cameras: the typical forward and rear facing ones for photos, and four additional cameras with 3D sensing capabilities.
The handset itself was allegedly leaked, cameras and all, with photos of a prototype that surfaced earlier this month. That device was shown featuring a 4.7-inch display, but it came concealed in a plastic outer casing that hid the actual design of the device.
Amazon is said to be working with third-party developers to enable popular applications to take advantage of the 3D features prior to the phone's release.
If Amazon does in fact release a smartphone, it would mark yet another market where the retailer plans to compete with Apple. Its Kindle Fire tablets already serve as a low-cost alternative to Apple's iPad lineup, while Amazon also takes on iTunes in the digital content business with music, movies and books.
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Charles Martin
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21 Comments
And Apple sues over the chamfering.
Apple has got another moronic company to sue and chase!
The design is cross-breed of Apple's new iPod/iPad and Nexus.
The design is cross-breed of Apple's new iPod/iPad and Nexus.
That is how evolution works. There is only one chromosome difference between a human and a chimpanzee.
If I were Apple I wouldn't waste time suing a Amazon. They are selling you a phone that makes it easier to sell you Amazon products. This is a company that has no earnings. They won't survive the first downdraft in this market because the don't have the capital reserves. Apple has looked weak over the last 2 years because they lost faith with their main supplier of screens just as large screens became popular. It took every bit of 3 years to get investments in new suppliers to produce enough supply to give them a bigger screen iPhone. Samsung has the money and expertise to compete here. Amazon is going to join the long list of wreaked companies that tried to make cell phones.
It looks like an iPhone. Amazon needs to get their own ideas.