Amazon’s head of devices and services, Panos Panay, says the company is “not necessarily” planning to release a smartphone, but he stopped short of ruling it out entirely. It was previously reported that Amazon is developing an Alexa-enabled AI phone codenamed “Transformer”, more than 10 years after killing off its ill-fated Fire Phone.
talking to financial TimesPanay was asked directly if the company was planning another smartphone. “It’s just not the goal,” he replied. “I know there are a lot of rumors out there.”
“I guess your black-and-white question is, are you going to go after the phone? A lot of people want me to say no, but a lot of people want me to say yes, I get it. Here’s my thought: It’s not necessary [that] We’re going after a phone, no.”
He added, “It’s a tricky question.” “If I say ‘no’, I would say it was right. But I also think it’s misleading.”
Much of Panay’s long-form answer to this question hinges on changes in the smartphone form factor, which he says is “not going anywhere”, but “is undergoing some transformation, and will continue to do so over the next 10 years.” Their hedging may suggest that whatever Amazon is working on won’t be a phone as we know it. Little is known about the reported Transformer project, except that the team explored both smartphone and “dumbphone” designs, and that Amazon’s Alexa Plus AI assistant will be at the center of the device.
Discussing AI wearables, Panay said that “there’s a whole new set of form factors that we’re working on,” so perhaps the company’s phone plans fall under that. But it seems like after Amazon’s bad experiences with the Fire Phone and Panay releasing the Surface Duo while at Microsoft, he’s in no rush to release a straightforward smartphone again.
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