Amazon Fire Phone Review: A Shopping Powerhouse with Limited Appeal
Amazon has spent years dominating the e-reader and tablet markets while expanding its vast content library. Now, the tech giant is setting its sights on the smartphone arena with the Amazon Fire Phone—a device designed to replace your most personal gadget. But does it deliver beyond being a shopping companion?
Breaking Into a Crowded Market
The smartphone market is fiercely competitive, with loyalties divided between Apple’s iPhone and various Android manufacturers. Amazon’s entry is bold, especially considering most users are already entrenched in their preferred ecosystems.
Pricing and Perks
- $199 on contract with AT&T (or $20-25/month for the full $650 price)
- 32GB storage standard
- Free year of Amazon Prime
- Unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud
For value-conscious shoppers, these extras might justify the purchase alone.
Hardware and Performance: Solid but Unspectacular
Key Specs:
- 4.7-inch 720p display (matches rumored iPhone size)
- Snapdragon 800 processor
- 2GB RAM
- Adreno 330 GPU
Performance is smooth for everyday tasks, with only minor stutters during testing. The camera holds its own against other high-end smartphones, though differences in photo quality are negligible to most users.
Design Quirks
Amazon placed the camera button on the side and the power button on top—an odd choice given how frequently users lock their screens. A software toggle to swap these functions would improve usability.
Software Experience: A Forked Android with Limitations
The Fire Phone runs a customized version of Android, featuring:
The Carousel Interface
- Shows recently used apps
- Displays relevant notifications (when supported)
- Lacks integration for major apps like Twitter and Facebook Messenger
Three-Panel Navigation
- Left panel: Quick access to menus
- Right panel: Shortcuts (e.g., recent photos or email attachments)
- Activated by wrist flicks or edge swipes (somewhat unreliable)
App Store Gaps
While popular apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are available, the selection thins quickly. Many apps are direct Android ports, often displaying screenshots with Android UI elements still visible.
Standout Features: Gimmicks or Game-Changers?
Dynamic Perspective
- Uses four infrared cameras to track head movement
- Creates a pseudo-3D effect on screen
- More flashy than functional outside of lock screens and potential gaming applications
Firefly: The Shopping Superpower
- Identifies products, music, TV shows, and even text (e.g., phone numbers)
- Deep integration with Amazon’s retail ecosystem
- Similar to Amazon’s existing Flow app on iOS/Android
Media Consumption: Amazon’s Strength
The Fire Phone excels for Amazon-centric users:
- Books and movies appear like apps on the home screen
- Offline downloads for Prime subscribers (unlike iOS/Android apps)
- Auto-scroll feature in Silk browser (not yet in Kindle app)
Dealbreaker: AT&T Exclusivity
The Fire Phone is only available on AT&T, which may deter Verizon or T-Mobile loyalists.
Verdict: Niche Appeal
The Fire Phone is ideal for:
- Avid Amazon shoppers
- Prime members
- Users indifferent to Google services
For everyone else, it’s a capable but unremarkable smartphone overshadowed by its shopping-centric features.
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