Comprehensive Review Amazon Fire Phone Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Amazon Fire Phone

The Amazon Fire Phone was launched in 2014 as Amazon's ambitious attempt to enter the smartphone market. Despite its innovative features, the device struggled in a competitive market dominated by big players like Apple and Samsung. With an emphasis on integrating Amazon's ecosystem, the Fire Phone brought unique features that were both its selling points and its Achilles' heel.

Design and Build

The Amazon Fire Phone sported a sleek design with dimensions of 139.2 x 66.5 x 8.9 mm and a weight of 160 g. It featured Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on both the front and back, giving it a solid and premium feel. The phone was only available in black, contributing to its minimalist yet sophisticated look.

Display

Equipped with a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display, the Fire Phone offered a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, providing a pixel density of approximately 312 ppi. This ensured reasonably sharp images and text, although it lagged behind some contemporaries in terms of display resolution.

Camera Capabilities

The Fire Phone was equipped with a 13 MP rear camera featuring autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS). Coupled with an LED flash and HDR capabilities, the camera was capable of recording 1080p videos at 30fps. There was also a 2.1 MP front-facing camera, suitable for basic selfies and video calls.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the phone housed a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset paired with a Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 CPU and an Adreno 330 GPU. It came with 2GB of RAM and two internal storage options, 32GB and 64GB, though it lacked an expandable memory card slot. This hardware configuration allowed for smooth performance in everyday tasks but was less competitive with higher-end smartphones of the time.

Operating System and Software

The Amazon Fire Phone ran on Fire OS 3.5, an Android-based operating system, which was upgradable to version 3.6.5. This OS was heavily integrated with Amazon services, offering features like Mayday customer support and Firefly for quick identification of objects, songs, and movies. However, this deep integration with Amazon's ecosystem limited the phone’s appeal for users accustomed to the broader Google Play Store and its app offerings.

Battery Life

The device was powered by a 2400 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery, which offered up to 285 hours of standby time, 22 hours of talk time, and up to 65 hours of music playback. While these figures were decent, the competitive landscape often featured devices with more enduring battery performance.

Connectivity

The Fire Phone supported a range of network technologies, including GSM, HSPA, and LTE. It was compatible with a variety of 2G, 3G, and 4G bands, ensuring good global connectivity. Additional connectivity features included Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, GLONASS, and NFC capabilities, but there was no support for FM radio.

Audio and Sound

The phone featured stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack, allowing for a decent audio experience whether using headphones or speakers. The inclusion of stereo speakers was a notable feature, providing better sound quality for media consumption.

User Experience and Reception

The Amazon Fire Phone was met with mixed reviews. Users appreciated the build quality and unique features like Dynamic Perspective – a feature that used multiple front-facing cameras to create a 3D-like effect on the screen. However, its heavy reliance on Amazon services and lack of access to popular Android apps limited its appeal. The initial high price point also deterred many potential buyers.

Market Performance and Discontinuation

Despite Amazon's efforts to capture market share, the Fire Phone was discontinued in the same year of its launch. With its commercial failure attributed to limited app availability, a lackluster user interface, and a competitive pricing strategy that didn’t resonate with the target segments, the Fire Phone serves as a case study in the challenges of entering the smartphone market dominated by well-established brands.

Legacy and Lessons Learned

While the Fire Phone didn’t succeed in making a significant mark, it provided Amazon with valuable insights into the smartphone industry. The company has since focused more on enhancing its successful Kindle range and expanding into other areas like smart home technology with Echo devices.

In retrospect, the Fire Phone's story is a testament to the complexities of consumer electronics market dynamics and the importance of ecosystem compatibility. Its lessons continue to inform Amazon's strategy in tech innovation and customer engagement to date.