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I'm sorry, I don't see anywhere in those notes where they refer to Amazon's Kindle Fire as an Android devices. I see reference to other devices that run Android.

Again, that's something they have to adhere to in order to respect the OHA's rules on the use of the Android Trademark, since they are not an official Android device, even though the run the same code base.

why is that so hard to accept ? BTW, the Amazon App Store is not exclusive to Kindle Fire. They do sell applications for both the Kindle Fire and other Android devices. The store was there before there was a Kindle Fire.

I can't understand what is so hard to understand here. Android is a trademark, first and foremost. See my Firefox - IceWeasel example.
Now who's being obtuse.

Android is the name of the OS... period.
The Kindle runs on the Android OS and was built using the level 10 SDK.
This makes it Android.
It runs native Android applications without emulation. That makes it Android.

The OHA's rules say if you don't include Google's crap, you cannot use the Android name in marketing. That doesn't change the fact that it's an Android device.

Getting into semantics over the OS name is beyond idiotic.

The Appstore reference was to simply point out that only Android compatible apps are listed/sold in that store.
Hence the name Amazon Appstore for Android.
A store front to which the Kindle Fire is locked too.

It's not called the Amazon Appstore for Android and Kindle Fire. Why? Because it would be redundant.
 
Typical macrumors user...

You don't even know what it is yet.

No, he knows a few things about it. I've already decided not to buy it because:

1) I don't need a tablet.
2) I want a device that works well with my PC, and Amazon does not have a PC, let alone one that I actually use.
3) I never buy "version 1" stuff. I feel bad for people who bought the iPad 1.

----------

I agree totally. The whole "cloud" storage idea is not compatible with current data caps. Until that is addressed it is not realistic to rely on cloud storage. It's okay for a wifi device used at home I guess, but to really rely on cloud storage we need 4G and unlimited data. Without that it's just silly to pretend that it can take the place of expanded flash memory.

Even the Chrome laptop seems to have failed. You can't use it AT ALL without an internet connection, which people don't always have. Someone at my school had one because he somehow got to beta test it, and he tried to petition the school to have school-wide wifi. The poor guy could only use it in one room.

I'd take a one-time flash memory cost over a monthly 3G/4G plan for sure.
 
Maybe they'll actually be the first to introduce a fantastic new unibody design with a gorgeous 4+" screen with an appropriately sized battery and an SD memory slot so you can actually put your stuff on it. (I'm looking at you, HTC)
 
This looks like the biggest joke in cellphones today. I want an ebay phone or better yet a newegg phone.
 
One possible solution would be for amazon to subsidize the cost of using amazon services over 4G in the same way that it was rumored Netflix and others might start doing. For example, all of your streaming from amazon's cloud of songs and video that you own, as well as amazon's streaming video service would not count against your data cap because amazon is paying for it. They could possibly come up with other services like an amazon version of Spotify that also would be paid for by amazon. Maybe a GPS/mapping service. Maybe when using their browser it wouldn't count against your total data, etc. That would be one way to lock folks into the amazon ecosystem while they're still stuck with the carriers' crappy monthly plans. That would be a huge benefit to have unlimited bandwidth when using amazon's services and would truly set them apart. Combine that with a less expensive phone that you could afford to buy outright without a contract (though you'd still have to use the usual carriers which are expensive though) then they could set themselves apart and be successful.

Can they make that money back by having people buy more music, books and movies? That is the big question.
 
"A smartphone would give Amazon a wider range of low-priced hardware devices..."

The Kindle Fire didn't exactly take on the iPad....



Not the same market.

well one can argue that the reason apple is going to make a 7 inch tablet is because of the Fire.
 
As an Apple customer of more than a few months you should be aware that competition is NOT what does anything at Apple. They don't do as or when the other boys do. On timetables, features etc.
Is that even Englsh?! Sheez. I have no idea what you are trying to say.
 
well one can argue that the reason apple is going to make a 7 inch tablet is because of the Fire.

Sure, but they are competing in a new sub-market. By entering said-market, Apple now has the ability to sell even more tablets.

It's similar to desktops vs laptops, or Pro vs Air.
 
Apple are already reeling from the Kindle Fire nerfing iPad sales. How are Apple going to survive this phone?
 
What will its major selling points be? That will be the big question.

Lots of people on the forums are underrating Amazon IMHO.

The major selling points:

1. The Amazon ecosystem.

2. Amazon.

3. The ecosystem.

Amazon has a considerable number of advantages over Google and Microsoft - its whole roots lie in purveying media and goods. The Google "Play" store is a joke by any comparison, e.g.

Their own device software operation doesn't compare to Apple's (but Amazon's own retail web, partner store, credit card and fulfillment operations are a huge and amazing monster chunk of software in their own right - which has to be at least as complicated and sophisticated (and well-executed) as any OS, so yes they know software).

And they don't have the world's hottest (or any) brick and mortar locations, but in other ways they surpass Cupertino in the "store" field - one example: You can even buy an iPad or Mac from Amazon, but you can't buy a Fire from Apple (or a PC or galoshes or toothpaste or.... ..millions of other things).

And in another way they have a cost advantage over Apple and (via!) Google. Google's committed to doing all their core OS development for them for free. And Amazon's free to "cut them off at the app store" with their fork of Android to grab the sales.

Not to mention they're building up a good number of years of device design and subcontracting now - you have to consider them more than a hopeless newbie as an electronics manufacturer now. They're no Apple by any means, but at low enough prices they don't have to be to carve out a niche with all their retail content and popularity. I'm a regular merch customer for one.

And cloud? Amazon's been running huge server farms much longer than Apple. They also host many other companies on their backbone. One of the big web backup companies I was considering for sure. Take out Amazon and see what happens to the internet. Whereas, take out facebook and lots of people would have to start doing things in the realer world, but otherwise, meh.

So I consider them the fourth contender behind Apple, Google and MS. And a dark horse that could make a good run with a nimble jockey and a few breaks.

(As for #2 and 3, Google's got a big early lead on MS, but MS has some institutional strengths GOOG doesn't - and both are prone to bone-headed costly moves. And either could be taken out - by the other, by AAPL or by... ...someone else.)

It's not gonna be facebook phones or Firefox phones or Blackberries (tho' running Win phone or Android with a keyboard could be a hail Mary). Or Open Web OS. Or Samsung. And Apple's got the lead in their own hands mindshare and profit-wise in some markets, and the lead period in others (esp. tablets).

But Amazon might have enough of the pieces, smarts and staying power to become a major player.

PS: Another reason why a 7.85" iPad makes sense for AAPL. It's very much in their strategic interest not to let Android or Amazon get too viable a niche that will feed other tablet developer communities - because that software will inevitably migrate up into the market for 10" tablets and start to take bits at least of market share from the market Apple now rules.

Whatever, don't be so quick to write off Jeff Bezos and Co.
 
Predictions:

Price: $199 retail for the prepaid market. (T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Boost, Straighttalk, Cricket, MetroPCS etc...)

Margin: very very low (maybe $2 profit per phone sold). Amazon is in this market to promote its digital ecosystem (digital music, ebook, digital movies, apps etc...) and sell physical products through Amazon Store. It will come out ahead even if it just break-even on the hardware.


The name: Amazon Kphone


The smartphone market until now: MAKE (HUGE) PROFITS ON HARDWARE (Apple and Samsung are two examples)
Amazon: BREAK EVEN ON HARDWARE


Can FoxConn create a decent "hardware" on $170-180? With other costs added, it will retail for $199 (a break-even phone).
 
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Name: Amphone

kPhone sounds better than Amphone IMO.


Another prediction: Amazon teams up with T-Mobile. No contract smartphone

$60 a month for

UNLIMITED MUSIC DOWNLOADS (similar to Cricket's Muve Music)
UNLIMITED SHIPPING on items purchased from Amazon
UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT
2.5GB of DATA

$199 kphone that can be purchased on Amazon (Amazon can market this product on its front page), T-Mobile stores and mass retailers that carry T-Mobile prepaid like Wal-greens, Best Buy etc...

Monthly Payment: deduct monthly from Amazon account (Amazon giftcard for those without debit/credit card).

Amazon became a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) of T-Mobile. It already got the payment system set up. Amazon also has GREAT customer service, something that a lot of prepaid carriers lack.


It's a win for T-Mobile to have Amazon as a MVNO.







Would you pay $60 a month on a no-contract smartphone with unlimited shipping from Amazon, unlimited music downloads, unlimited talk, unlimited text and 2.5GB of data?

On a decent $199 (break-even) Android smartphone?

A lot won't but I bet some will.


--------If the Nexus7 can be created for $199, I don't see why a decent smartphone can't be created at the same price.
 
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Well since most of the Phone market, here in the U.S. at least, does not buy their phones outright - they get them via a 2 year contract for no money or some money for the coveted handsets - its hard to see how Amazon is going to do anything here since they don't have a mobile phone network and will have to work with the carriers (who aren't going to allow Amazon to give users a loosing rate since it would affect them long term). They could sell some on pre-paid by selling them for nothing.

But it begs the question, who would want an Amazon branded phone?

Amazon makes okay cheap readers and a tablet (which is not selling well). Who wants to be visually advertising to the world that you've got the on-line "Walmart" branded phone as you go about your life (when you can get a non Amazon branded phone for free, contract, or very little, no contract, just as easily), for some people that won't matter, but for a big chunk of the market it sure would.

Seems poised to be a looser. JMHO

Yup... and people wonder why Apple users get stereotyped as superficial jerks who buy Apple products just so others can see them using their iDevices.

@Sasparilla - thanks for holding up the stereotype. Can you take your fanboy-ism elsewhere so the rest of us Apple users don't get branded this way?
 
When I bought AMZN I thought I was buying into an online retailer, not a Sony wannabe. They're all caught up in CEO vanity projects. Bezos wants to imagine himself as cool as Jobs and the Google boys, and he's going to shipwreck his company on his ego.
 
Amazon should stick to two things on the consumer side: eBooks and selling other people's stuff.

Too bad Apple had to meddle their hands in the ebooks area, now the ebook prices are sometimes higher than the PRINT versions. What a joke.
 
This is going to be an interesting race.

Apple iPad Mini
Microsoft Surface
Amazon Kindle
Nexus 7

I'm sort of a MS fan-boy (the geeky good kind, not the competition hating kind), and I think that the Surface (if priced right) will change the tablet market. Win8 works great as both a mobile OS and full on desktop OS.

Apple has something with a smaller iPad, but I think it's time for apple to perhaps change the OS aesthetically. However Apple already has its feet far deep in the app market, and no one can compete with that. Apple should perhaps stop being so pricey and it would sell more.

I don't really like the Kindle, and what I did use of it seemed pretty lame. The idea behind it is great. However, the rumor mill is currently whispering of an ad supported version of the phone/tablet.

The Nexus 7 is great, but is lacking a few things that would have elevated it above the Kindle and other tablets in its market. Perhaps, they will learn from this one and do so on the next.


So another tablet will be great competition. If they could stop suing each other for 2 minutes, they could all learn from each other, and do competition the right way. Win customers by offering a product more awesome than the next guys, and not brute force.


Just my two cents.
 
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