Reports of an Amazon-made smartphone have been rumbling through the rumor mill for well over a year now, and tonight another leak has surfaced with purported details on the retailers handset plans. According to sources speaking to TechCrunch and a post on HackerNews, Amazon is actually cooking up a pair of smartphones, with one high-end model that features a 3D user interface and a second, cheaper unit.
The higher-end of the two is reportedly codenamed "Smith" and is said to feature four cameras on the corners of its face that will track a users head and eye movements. The phone will then move its user interface around to give the illusion that its in 3D. This would allow users to see buttons move around and possibly even "peek" off the edges of the screen. The software thats being worked on would allegedly recognize the face of the devices owner and ignore others in order to ensure that its displaying its 3D interface correctly.
Amazon is also rumored to be considering another feature for its high-end Smith phone that would allow the user to snap a photo of an object in the real world using a fifth camera on the devices rear, then find the corresponding product on Amazon for purchase. Its said that this feature could be used to help offset the cost of the phone itself. Theres no mention of how much that cost could be, but it is said that the Smith isnt expected to launch this year.
The second, low-cost phone is described as a "cheap" model that would run the Fire OS similar to whats used on Amazons Kindle Fire tablets. None of the 3D features found on the Smith would be present, which isnt a surprise given that this is supposed to be the more affordable model. Most of the other details on the low-cost phone are still up in the air, but it is said that staffing for the device has been shifting around quite a bit and could cause the phones launch to be scheduled for next year.
These two devices are still very much unofficial at this point, and its possible that one or both of them will never even make it to market. Considering Amazons growing line of Kindle Fire hardware and the continued consumer adoption of the smartphone, though, I wouldnt be surprised if Amazon were interested in trying to break into the wireless market. This Smith phone and its 3D interface sounds pretty nifty, although its unclear how cool or useful itd be in day-to-day life. Still, the phone could at least be used as a jumping off point to help Amazon develop other phones that it does launch.
What do you make of these Amazon phone rumors? Would you use a device with a 3D interface like the one described on the Smith?
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