Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is working on a smartphone, according to Tech Crunch. Matthew Panzarino did a piece today on the new smartphone, but details are still sparse. According to the leak, Amazon is actually working on two different smartphones, one cheaper model and one more expensive model that will apparently include a 3D eye tracking interface.
Amazon has been rumored to be planning a smartphone release for over a year. Today’s leak, which comes from a forum posting but was independently verified by TechCrunch, matches up with previous reports about the phone from outlets like The Wall Street Journal. An Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) smartphone appears to be on the way, and it appears to be coming soon.
Amazon smartphone details
The major features spoken about in the post are image recognition and a 3D interface. The 3D interface will work with four cameras around the phone. These cameras will track the user’s eyes and head and let them interact with the interface by moving rather than touching. The screen itself will not be 3D.
Image recognition is also bound to be a big feature. The phone will be able to recognize a user’s face and separate it from others around them, allowing them to control the device with 3D movement in a crowded area. Image recognition may also allow users to take a picture of an object and search for it, then buy it from Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
Amazon smartphone release and price
According to the post, which came from a throwaway account called Helvodka, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) wanted to have the phone already launched by now, but the company had to delay the release because a lot of the team working on the phone have left the company. There are apparently still several problems with the hardware and software involved.
The user said that “several engineers from other products have moved to the phone team, making other products severely short staffed.” The post said that employee retention was a big problem at Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and that problem can be seen throughout the whole company and the delay in the release of this phone.
That means that the Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) smartphone is probably not ready for release just yet, but it appears to be a priority for the company. According to the post, the cheaper smartphone will be released by the end of this year, but Amazon fans will have to wait a little longer for a premium experience. There are no pricing details as of yet, other than the fact that one model will be less expensive than the other.
