Amazon is preparing to launch some sort of 3D device tomorrow in Seattle and most believe it will be the heavily rumored smartphone, running some sort of 3D effect, allowing the screen to follow the user’s eyes for better viewing angles.
We have already run down the list of expected features coming to the Amazon smartphone, but the general gist is the 3D effect will be the big feature and the rest of the phone will mimic a normal mid-range Android device, running Fire OS for the first time on a smartphone.
In the U.S, Amazon has always had a strong partnership with AT&T, normally running Kindle Fire LTE options through AT&T services, instead of the three other carriers. It looks like Amazon will do the same again, with a new report claiming AT&T will be the exclusive carrier in the U.S.
The information comes from The Wall Street Journal, citing “people familiar with the plans,” although we do not know whose side of the plans, Amazon or AT&T. In other countries it is expected Amazon will not make any unique deal like this and open the phone to all carriers.
There is another reason other than friendship why Amazon would work only with AT&T, the Sponsored Data announcement. Amazon will apparently use this on their own services, allowing user’s to not get charged for using data, so long as they continue to use Amazon’s services and not their rivals.
This is a backdoor way for Amazon to gain an upper hand of their rivals in the e-commerce, video streaming and music streaming business, allowing user’s to access these services for free with an Amazon Prime account and still have enough data to browse other content on the phone.
Amazon will unveil the smartphone tomorrow and we expect Jeff Bezos to deliver some news about the sponsored data, alongside any other initiatives Amazon are working on to cut the price and offer more services to the user.
Source: WSJ
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