Table of Contents
Reviving Smartphone Ambitions
More than a decade after abandoning the Fire Phone, Amazon is reportedly gearing up for a new smartphone launch. This time, the focus is on integrating its AI assistant Alexa deeply into the device experience. According to Reuters, the project carries the codename Transformer and is being built around Alexa capabilities, though it may not run Alexa as the main operating system.
Team and Development Details
Development is underway in Amazon's ZeroOne group, headed by J Allard. Allard brings experience from Microsoft, where he contributed to the Zune media player and Xbox console. His team has investigated a range of designs, including traditional smartphones and simpler dumbphones.
Design Explorations
- Full-featured smartphone prototypes.
- Minimalist dumbphone concepts inspired by the $700 Light Phone.
- Black-and-white display features similar to the Light Phone.
