The much-rumoured Amazon smartphone has been hit by production difficulties which could well result in a delayed launch, according to reports.
Taiwan-based industry rumour-monger DigiTimes cites sources within the flat panel supply chain concerning the delayed Amazon smartphone. Apparently its planned Q2 release date will probably slip.
No specific reasons are given for such a delay, other than the fact that “the production progress at its manufacturing partner, Foxconn International Holdings, has not been as smooth as expected.”
Amazon’s original roadmap stipulated that its smartphone should complete its production verification test phase during the first quarter of 2013, which would lead to mass production in the second quarter. However, with the PVT phase ongoing, the Amazon smartphone is likely to miss its June production window.
Like the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, it’s believed that the first Amazon smartphone will come with an extremely cheap and subsidised price tag. Initial reports suggest it could cost around the £100 mark.
As with its tablets, the Amazon smartphone will run on the company’s Silk browser – a heavily modified version of Android with Amazon’s own online ecosystem deeply integrated.
Reports late last year suggested that Amazon was planning to have five million smartphones ready to ship this summer. These latest reports of production difficulties could put paid to such ambitions – at least in the immediate future.
Would you be interested in an Amazon smartphone? Would it tempt you away from your iPhone or Android device? Let us know what you think in the comments section below, or take to the Trusted Reviews Twitter and Facebook feeds to have your say.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
