Amazon on Wednesday made its entry into the smartphone arena, announcing the $199 Fire, an Android-based device with a 3-D-like user interface and other features designed to stand out in a crowded market.
Another unique feature, dubbed Firefly, allows the phone to quickly recognize objects, barcodes, music and TV shows — making it all the easier, of course, for Amazon to sell those things. Firefly, though, also recognizes art, phone numbers and other useful information.
The device, which is exclusive to AT&T and will ship July 25, packs the usual high-resolution rear camera and speedy quad-core chip. In addition, it has four extra front-facing cameras used to provide the depth information needed for the “dynamic perspective” feature.
Dynamic perspective — the signature feature of the device — allows users to scroll and pull up menus without touching the screen, using just a flick of the wrist.
The Fire also includes the Mayday customer support feature that debuted with last year’s Kindle Fire tablets.
The 32GB model is $199 with a two-year contract, though AT&T will also sell it contract-free for $27 per month on one of its AT&T Next plans. For a limited time, Amazon is giving all Fire phone buyers 12 months of Amazon Prime service.
Source: Re/Code
