A Smartphone Unlike Any Other From Amazon

Amazon has been working away on its own series of smartphones for a number of years now but sources claim that an announcement from the company is just around the corner. We know from the rumors that Amazon is promising that this handset will be unlike any other already available on the market. The focus of the device is said to be on Amazon’s products and services and a unique custom 3D interface, the likes of which have not been seen before. So seeing as the unveiling is supposed to be imminent, we thought we’d round up all the rumors we have so far.

Last month BGR received exclusive photos of Amazon’s prototype handset but the physical design of the smartphone was so well concealed that it actually didn’t make us any wiser as to what the company had in store. However, a new image has surfaced and BGR say their sources claim the photo is legitimate and an accurate rendering of the phone.

As you can see from the image, it seems to take a little inspiration from each of the touch smartphones that are already on the market. So for example, it has a home button that sits in much the same position as Apple’s iPhone and a chamfered  bezel which is reminiscent of the HTC One. Sources claim that the Amazon smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and have 2GB of RAM. It is thought that it will run a customized version of Google’s Android OS, something similar to Fire OS, which is used in Amazon’s tablets.

Custom 3D Interface

One of the unique features that Amazon is hoping will make the device stand out from the crowd, is the 3D interface. As well as the standard front and rear facing cameras, the phone is said to have an additional four front-facing, low-power infrared cameras, which will work with in-built sensors to create the 3D effect.

It is likely that the 3D feature will be incorporated into as many functions as possible, starting with the lock screen, which could have specially designed wallpapers. From there it will no doubt bring icons and other functions to life, as well as work in Amazon’s book and music stores.

Tilt Gestures

In order to make it easier for users to navigate around the 4.7-inch display with one hand, the company is rumored to have developed unique gesture controls. By tilting the phone to the left or right, more functionality will be available. In practice this could mean that in the email and calendar apps, where the small icons have no labels, a slight tilt would reveal the labels beneath the icons.

Apparently the apps don’t have traditional menu buttons but instead the menus and functions are accessed by tilting the phone, so that new panels can slide in over the current screen.

Release Date

At the moment no one knows the name of the handset or when it will be released. The rumor is that Amazon will unveil its glasses free 3D interface smartphone around June, followed by a release some time later in the third quarter.

[Image via BGR]