Engadget
70
Engadget Review
Amazon Fire phone review: a unique device, but you're better off waiting for the sequel
Summary
Amazon's debut phone isn't bad, per se, but there's little incentive for anyone to switch carriers or platforms to buy it. Its unique features don't provide enough utility, and come at the expense of both battery life and performance.
Pros
- Mayday provides quick access to tech support
- Comes with free year of Prime membership
- Good call quality
Cons
- Exclusive to AT&T, no global options
- 3D effects can cause motion sickness
- Limited ecosystem
- Dynamic Perspective and Firefly need some work
- Unique features hamper battery life and performance
After producing a long line of e-book readers and tablets (not to mention a set-top box), Amazon has its sights set on the smartphone market. But finding success here won't be easy, even for an established tech giant like Amazon. With the Fire phone, the online retailer is coming in as an unproven underdog, hoping to bring iPhone and Android users into its fold. CEO Jeff Bezos says the only way to do that is to differentiate; to wow potential buyers with new features they didn't even realize they needed. These unique offerings include 3D head-tracking, product scanning and fast help from customer service agents.
