SAN FRANCISCO — In 2014, Amazon introduced its first smartphone, hoping to take on Apple and Samsung. Instead, the Fire Phone — overseen directly by founder Jeff Bezos — was scrapped in barely over a year, one of Amazon’s highest-profile flops.
Now, Amazon is dialing up a new phone.
The latest effort, known internally as “Transformer,” is being developed within its devices and services unit, according to four people familiar with the matter.
The phone is seen as a potential mobile personalization device that can sync with home voice assistant Alexa and serve as a conduit to Amazon customers throughout the day, the people said.
The initiative is the newest chapter in a years-long effort to bring to market Bezos’ long-held vision of a ubiquitous voice-driven computing assistant akin to the voice-controlled computer in science fiction series “Star Trek.”
Bezos had envisioned a smartphone that had shopping at its core and could take on Apple by offering shipping convenience and discounts through the Prime membership.
Along the way, Amazon could gain a wealth of new data about users only available through mobile phones combined with purchase history and content preferences.Amazon’s effort to develop a new smartphone has not been previously reported.
Reuters could not determine some details, such as the anticipated price of the phone, the revenue Amazon hopes to generate, or the financial commitment Amazon has made to the project.
The timeline for Amazon’s Transformer project is also unclear, and the people cautioned it could be scrapped if the strategy shifts or due to financial concerns.
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment for this story.
As envisioned, the new phone’s personalization features would make buying from Amazon.com, watching Prime Video, listening to Prime Music or ordering food from partners like Grubhub easier than ever, the people said.
They asked for anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss internal matters.
A key focus of the Transformer project has been integrating artificial intelligence capabilities into the device, the people said.
That could eliminate the need for traditional app stores, which require downloading and registering for applications before they can be used.
