DailyTech - Quick Note: Amazon Smartphone to be 4 to 5 Inches

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Gadgets Quick Note: Amazon Smartphone to be 4 to 5 Inches
Tiffany Kaiser - July 11, 2012 10:33 AM

42 comment(s) - last by peto.kozma.. on Jul 15 at 4:58 PM

The e-tailer is currently testing the device

Amazon entered the hardware arena with its Kindle e-readers back in 2007 and then the Kindle Fire in 2011. Now, its stepping into the world of smartphones -- and the spec rumors have only just begun.

Just last week, it was reported that Amazon was expected to release its first smartphone in November 2012. The e-tailer is working with Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. to make the new device, and it is looking to compete with the likes of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android-powered phones.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon's new smartphone will have a 4 to 5-inch screen. This lands in the realm of the iPhone, which will now have a 4-inch screen, and Samsung's Galaxy S III, which is a bit on the larger side at 4.8 inches.

Amazon plans to release the new smartphone either later this year or early next year. The e-tailer is currently testing the device.

In addition to a smartphone, Amazon is also looking to release the successor to its original Kindle Fire tablet this year. Some specs have already leaked, such as the 1280x800 resolution, an aspect ratio of 1.60 rather than 1.71, and a thinner, lighter frame. According to AllThingsD, the new tablet should be released in late Q3 2012.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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Keep it at 4"

By quiksilvr on 7/11/2012 10:50:35 AM , Rating: 3

I currently have a Galaxy Nexus. With my large hands this phone is perfect at 4.65". But I feel at 5" that would be pushing it. I'd say keep it at 4-4.5" and not larger.

RE: Keep it at 4"

By SpinCircle on 7/11/2012 11:03:01 AM , Rating: 5

I'm sure that if it was larger, they'll change their plans now that you've given your opinion...

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Flunk on 7/11/2012 11:39:45 AM , Rating: 2

This phone size thing is getting out of hand. I have an "enormous" 4.3 phone and it is very close to too big for my pocket. I have large hands and it fits them just fine but we're beginning to reach into the zone where these phones are just too big to bother carrying around.

I think the ideal solution is to just make a few models of different sizes.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/11/2012 12:04:31 PM , Rating: 5

If it's to big for your pockets, get rid of the lame skinny jeans. My Razr fits just FINE in my pockets and I am looking to get the S3 here soon and give the Razr to my GF.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Nortel on 7/11/2012 12:11:54 PM , Rating: 2

I think you are missing out on the ginormous small handed Asian market.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Reclaimer77 on 7/11/2012 12:14:08 PM , Rating: 2

Yes except in Asia small phones like the iPhone are outsold 3 to 1 by larger Android handsets.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By ChronoReverse on 7/11/2012 12:14:29 PM , Rating: 2

I'm a small handed Asian and I own a Galaxy Note. It's all a matter of getting used to it.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/11/2012 12:15:38 PM , Rating: 3

I live in the US so the Asian Market isn't my concern. There are different size phones, people need to quit complaining about phones being to big and get a size that suits them.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Flunk on 7/11/2012 12:33:03 PM , Rating: 2

No everyone wears enormous cargo pants to work, some of us have to look professional.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/11/2012 12:38:15 PM , Rating: 2

And a 4.3 in phone should fit in the pockets of dress pants....

Also, you assume I am talking about enormous cargo pants, the phone fits just fine in normal standard jeans which is what most people wear.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By FITCamaro on 7/11/2012 1:18:23 PM , Rating: 1

My workplace full of engineering professionals is full of people wearing shorts and sandals at the moment.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By NellyFromMA on 7/11/2012 1:28:25 PM , Rating: 2

I second this

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By StevoLincolnite on 7/11/2012 1:41:34 PM , Rating: 2

And I'm getting married to my heater right about now... This is the coldest and wettest winter I can remember. :P

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Myrandex on 7/11/2012 9:37:31 PM , Rating: 2

Ugh I wish my company would think a lot about a good dose of this. Especially in the middle of this heat wave. Hey company, wanna save some money? I'd take a small cut in pay to have a more relaxed dress code. Although knowing them if they did that, they would initiate the cut, let people wear the more comfortable clothes, and then change the dress code back and not give the pay back...

Seriously guys my Dull Craptop doesn't care what I'm wearing...and given I'm a System Engineer working behind the scenes, my interactions with customers are pretty much limited behind phone calls and emails.

Jason

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By NellyFromMA on 7/11/2012 1:28:11 PM , Rating: 2

Skinny jeans != professional

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By kleinma on 7/11/2012 2:00:50 PM , Rating: 3

So keep it in your man purse.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By phatboye on 7/11/2012 4:06:21 PM , Rating: 2

I guess you assume that 100% of earth's population is male or that females who wear skinny jeans shouldn't purchase smartphones.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By dgingerich on 7/11/2012 6:19:30 PM , Rating: 4

Basically, I say nobody should wear skinny jeans. Function >>> form.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/12/2012 9:11:57 AM , Rating: 2

You would guess wrong.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By BillyBatson on 7/12/2012 5:06:03 AM , Rating: 2

Maybe you need to lose weight and get into normal size jeans?
Anything over 4" is too big. It's not comfortable in the hand, not comfortable against te year, doesn't fit into some pockets, and the ones it does fit in make it uncomfortable or straight fall out when I sit down.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/12/2012 9:06:10 AM , Rating: 2

Are you saying *I* need to lose weight? Do you even know me? How do you know how much I weigh? You don't? That's what I thought. I am 6ft and around 215....I don't *really* need to lose weight...

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By Cheesew1z69 on 7/12/2012 9:17:19 AM , Rating: 2

Also, 4in may be to big FOR YOU , but it's not for EVERYONE . My Razr feels GREAT in my hands. Your opinion is just that, an opinion.

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By phatboye on 7/11/2012 4:04:51 PM , Rating: 2

So I guess you are against people voicing their opinion here on dailytech?

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By FITCamaro on 7/11/2012 1:17:17 PM , Rating: 2

You know what they say about guys with small hands...

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By NellyFromMA on 7/11/2012 1:29:15 PM , Rating: 2

They have big goals?

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By ShaolinSoccer on 7/11/2012 7:20:22 PM , Rating: 2

You know what else they say? It's not the size that counts. It's how you use it :D

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RE: Keep it at 4"

By zephyrprime on 7/12/2012 11:07:03 AM , Rating: 3

They're make for good lock pickers?

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Value Proposition for Amazon?

By WalksTheWalk on 7/11/2012 11:25:32 AM , Rating: 2

I understand Amazon wants to keep users within its ecosystem and not lose them to Google Play, iTunes or some other media outlet. What I don't fully understand is how Amazon can fully monetize an Amazon phone to offset their costs. Maybe this is a loss leader play to keep users within their ecosystem, but it seems like building a smartphone is very expensive if they go head to head against more traditional Android phones, the iPhone and Windows phones.

Then again, maybe Amazon will make a basic smartphone, subsidize the heck out of the phone and plan hoping they can recoup their costs in Amazon purchases.

RE: Value Proposition for Amazon?

By GotThumbs on 7/11/2012 11:46:23 AM , Rating: 2

Since Apples greatest income generator IS its portal and 30% toll charge. Amazon is just implementing the same strategy. Consumers have shown a willingness to be bound to a proprietary ecosystem such as Apples, so why not expect Amazon or some other company to follow suit? Apple has shown that consumers will pay again and again for the same product with minor upgrades. They would be foolish NOT to take advantage of this opportunity.

I don't follow this trend, but since a majority of this county has shown it does (Apple, FB, etc.) ....its to be expected until (If ever) consumers wake-up to the controlled ecosystem model.

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RE: Value Proposition for Amazon?

By augiem on 7/11/2012 2:05:08 PM , Rating: 3

Apple makes FAR more money off their hardware sales than they do their media store. Look at the annual reports. Hardware is king. iTunes and App store are a tiny fraction of their revenue.

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RE: Value Proposition for Amazon?

By zephyrprime on 7/11/2012 12:36:28 PM , Rating: 2

I think you are over estimating the "high cost" of producing a smart phone. All the parts are off the shelf and manufactured by other companies except the motherboard. Batteries, screen, ram, processor, touch digitizer, radio, mic, speakers, all pretty cheap commodity parts. The only thing that is custom is the MB which you can contract for. Apple broke new ground with the iphone but since then, the designs have not fundamentally changed. One of the problems with Apple's outsourcing of everything is that all the production expertise is available in the Asian industrial complex for the highest bidder now, not just apple.

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RE: Value Proposition for Amazon?

By augiem on 7/11/2012 2:07:16 PM , Rating: 2

I don't understand how Acer and the like can be releasing $200-$250 7" tablets with quad core processors and tons of RAM and retailing them for that price when an equivalently spec'd smart phone costs $600+. Where's the logic in that? You're not going to tell me an antenna and a 4G chip costs $400...

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RE: Value Proposition for Amazon?

By augiem on 7/11/2012 2:09:51 PM , Rating: 3

Or how about one of those rotten 1GHz $80 Android tabs. Slap a phone in it and it should be a < $100 rotten Android phone, but no, it'll cost $400.

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???

By nafhan on 7/11/2012 11:34:45 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon's new smartphone will have a 4 to 5-inch screen.

It would be news if they were doing something OTHER than a 4 to 5 inch screen.

RE: ???

By Denigrate on 7/11/2012 11:57:51 AM , Rating: 2

Well, I don't think we've seen a 6" screen yet!

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RE: ???

By geddarkstorm on 7/11/2012 2:44:24 PM , Rating: 3

In today's news, Amazon is making a smartphone in the size and shape of a smartphone. Genius!

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Geeez really?!?!

By anactoraaron on 7/11/2012 12:10:16 PM , Rating: 2

"Amazon smartphone to be 4-5 inches"

Well considering almost all smartphone displays being made today fall in the 4-5 inch range this would be pretty much obvious.

Next article to come will be "Quick note: Amazon smartphone to have battery and power button."

RE: Geeez really?!?!

By GulWestfale on 7/11/2012 12:39:00 PM , Rating: 2

not if apple has a patent on those...

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RE: Geeez really?!?!

By augiem on 7/11/2012 2:11:30 PM , Rating: 2

I'll scream if they go with an inaccessible battery and no SD card slot. I'm sick of that scam.

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intredasting...

By GulWestfale on 7/11/2012 11:25:34 AM , Rating: 2

it'll be interesting to see what amazon does with this. will they create a new platform, and compete head-to-head with android, iOS, and windows mobile?
or will they use a standard version of android and thus become an also-ran?

my guess is that they will try to position themselves as a media-centric phone company, with all of their media services integrated into the phone; but they will still use some sort of android-derived OS, like the kindle fire.

priced right (with enough data at low monthly prices... but who am i kidding?), this could be a real contender.

What is the point of this for consumers?

By Wolfpup on 7/12/2012 2:36:08 PM , Rating: 2

I'm interested to see what this will be, how it will be sold, but I'd imagine Amazon will block "sideloading" programs and Google Play...so why should we buy this over a device that doesn't have those blocked?

smartphone

By peto.kozma on 7/15/2012 4:58:37 PM , Rating: 2

will be curious to see how a "kindle phone" will differentiate itself from all of the android phones with amazon apps. I could see a glaxy Note sized phone/tablet making some sense. And the new amazon smartphone looks like this http://amazonsmartphone.net/ ? becoue it looks like an Iphone for me.