Amazon is Playing With Fire

Mobile computing is literally everywhere; and, yes, that's the point of the technology. The mobile computing boom has presented major retailers with the opportunity to begin offering smartphones and tablets. The world's largest online retailer, Amazon, is the next company to launch a mobile device platform, by offering their new "Fire" smartphone, CEO Jeff Bezos announced on June 18th.

As you'd expect from Amazon, the phone offers users a new perspective; literally. In fact, the display is lauded as "3D" by the retailer. By using a glasses-less 3D display that's comparable to Nintendo's 3DS', Amazon will be the first manufacturer to integrate this technology into a mobile handset since Android's HTC Evo 3D. The way this works is that the Fire comes equipped with four infrared, front-facing cameras that gauge the location of your face and eyes in relation to the phone. The image shifts accordingly to represent the illusion of depth. Amazon is calling this feature, "Dynamic Perspective". The display was the big topic of discussion at the announcement, but was not the only noteworthy piece of information about the new smartphone.

The Fire will come with Amazon's new Firefly integration, that allows you to identify, and ultimately purchase, goods you see out in the real world from Amazon. The integration uses the camera to identify phone numbers, movies, books, games, music, and more, by simply pointing your device's camera at them. It comes with a dedicated button on the side of the device, further proof that hardware is being created around commercial systems that are already in place to improve the user's ability to find and purchase goods. For a commercial giant like Amazon, this integration creates a dynamic relationship between the Fire and the user's often-insatiable need to buy new stuff. Presenting a solution to get those goods to the consumer faster than ever is a win-win for Amazon and the consumer.

Amazon has been an innovator in mobile devices for the better part of the last decade. In fact, the hugely popular Kindle line has revolutionized the way people view books and other text-based media. This is represented through consumer statistics; at this moment more ebooks are purchased than hardcover books. This trend is sure to continue as it cuts down on publishing costs, albeit marginally. The Kindle reader that's integrated into the phone has its own dynamic features, presenting Amazon Lending Library members further options for reading on the go.

Chances are, you aren't going to use your smartphone for reading books, but the Fire provides users with another consumption feature that they may take advantage of more regularly. The device comes with a year of Amazon Prime, a $99 value, for free. This service provides users a whole library of media as well as the lending library and breaks on shipping.

The Amazon Fire phone has comparable specifications to other flagship devices including:

• Quad-core 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 processor.
• 2 GB of RAM.
• 4.7" full-HD display.
• 32GB/64GB on-board memory.
• 13 megapixel camera with LED flash and optical image stabilization.
• 2,800 mAh battery.
• Unlimited Amazon cloud storage for your pictures.

With those specs and its dedicated innovations, Amazon looks like it has something users will need to consider when shopping for a new smartphone. The Amazon Fire will be an AT&T exclusive device initially. It is available for pre-order today, and ships on July 25, 2014.

At Heart of Texas Network Consultants, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the newest tech to ensure that we have all the solutions for our clients' IT and business problems. For more information about the newest devices and mobile features, and how these features could benefit your organization, call us today at (254) 848-7100.