Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, announces Fire Phone

Amazon stepped confidently into the smartphone market at an event in Seattle today by unveiling the Fire Phone, which is part of their Kindle Fire line. As has been predicted for the months, the device contains 3D graphics and a ton of features which will point you right back to Amazon’s services. Let’s take a look at what is known so far.

• The black rubber frame encases a 4.7 inch display, beating Apple out on screen size. The front and back are Gorilla Glass.
• The display is capable of 3D images. Amazon calls the unique technology “Dynamic Perspective.” The effect adds the illusion of depth behind the screen, rather than outward.
• Its insides contain a 2.2GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 339 graphics processor and 2GB of RAM.
• The features of the device will be closely tied to other devices and services from the company. This includes the new feature Firefly, which operates on image-recognition technology. Take a picture of an item, and be directed to Amazon’s online store to make a purchase. It also incorporates the “Mayday” technology-help service that has been integrated on the Kindle Fire for some time.
• There is audio recognition for movies and TV shows. And if you watch a movie using the company’s set-top box, the Fire Phone can pull up the actors and other information from IMDB.
• The Whispersync will work with voice controls. It allows you to listen to the audio version of a book, then continue where you left off on your Kindle or Kindle App on another device.
• One of the most exciting features is the unlimited photo storage in the Amazon Cloud. (This does not extend to videos however.) Images can be captured on their 13 megapixel camera.
• The device will ship with what are supposed to be innovative, new headphones. Amazon claims that they are tangle-free due to the magnets in the design.

The introduction of a smartphone device continues the company’s evolution from online book seller to global tech titan. Jeff Bezos knew it was a complicated market to navigate – one that continues to grow more complicated by the day – so he and the company waited until they had a truly innovative design on their hands.

In the US, AT&T will be the exclusive carrier for the new smartphone. It is unclear when the product will be available in Australia.

--

Image via Yahoo!