More than ten years after the Fire Phone’s infamous failure, Amazon seems intent on challenging the mobile giants again with a radically different approach. According to a report published by Reuters, the e-commerce giant is developing a new smartphone focused entirely on the voice assistant Alexa, aiming to transform the device into an omnipresent digital companion capable of following the user at every moment of the day.
Amazon doesn’t back down after the Fire Phone flop: an Alexa-centered smartphone on the way, according to Reuters
The new device, internally identified by codename Transformer, is designed as a tool intended to synchronize perfectly with the Alexa ecosystem already present in users’ homes. Amazon’s strategic goal is to create a constant channel of communication, offering seamless and immediate access to proprietary services like Prime Video, Prime Music, and the brand’s shopping platform.
In this scenario, the smartphone acts as a tool that keeps the customer connected to Amazon services throughout the day.
Amazon aims to use Alexa to eliminate the need for traditional app stores. It was precisely the lack of a competitive app catalog compared to the Google Play Store that was one of the main reasons for the Fire Phone’s failure in 2014, a device that never managed to convince the mass market (despite features such as the glasses-free 3D display).
With the Transformer project, Alexa will become a fundamental function of the device with the task of proactively handling user requests, surpassing the classic model based on downloading and manually opening individual applications.
Despite the innovative approach, the development of the device must deal with several technical challenges. Unlike Kindle tablets — which have been successful — building a smartphone requires a much more complex software and hardware support network.
Amazon seems to have learned the lesson of the past, focusing less on niche physical features and more on smart integration of services. However, the current strategy could still undergo changes or be abandoned altogether, since at the moment we are dealing more with a rumor than a leak.
