Load the Game

Amazon will compete with Apple and Samsung for the smartphone market

• Egon Kilin
• April 12th, 2014

After announcing earlier this month that they wanted a slice of the set-top box market, Amazon made another tech related announcement recently. It seems like the electronic commerce company now wants to compete with Apple, Samsung and all the other important smartphone manufacturers out there.

On April 2, 2014 the Amazon Fire Tv was unveiled and it was made available for purchase the very same day for the price of $99 USD. The set-top box tries to be a jack of all trades device. Aside from streaming audio and video content to a HD Television, the Fire Tv also allows its users to play video games. This can be done either with the included remote or with an optional controller that can be purchased for $39.99 USD.

It’s still a little early to tell if the Fire Tv can actually compete with other producers, but it looks like Amazon already has something else in mind. Rumors of a smartphone designed by Amazon have circulated for years, but were only recently confirmed. Sources claim that the company has demonstrated versions of the handset to developers in San Francisco and Seattle.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Amazon plans to announce its smartphone at some point in June.  The device is expected to begin shipping a few months later, in September. To stand out from competitors such as Apple and Samsung, Amazon plans to equip its phones with screens that display 3D images without the need for special glasses.

For more details about the Amazon smartphone take a look at the original article on Reuters.