As we'd expect from Amazon, we have a device built using quality – but on the whole generic – parts, but with the emphasis put on delivering a product that is itself unique, functional and tightly bound to the Amazon ecosystem.
The screen is, and is always the case with Amazon products, the highlight. It is a 4.7-inch industry-leading ultra-bright display making the handset suited to use in bright sunshine. It features dynamic image contrast to keep the image clear – as opposed to just altering the brightness which is what most smartphones do) and also features a circular polarizer to reduce glare.
The camera too is a big feature. The F2.0 lens gives it excellent low-light capability, beating what Apple and Samsung can go in tests carried out by Amazon.
It's clear that Amazon has once again put the hardware focus on the bit that users see the most – the screen.
- Quad-core 2.2GHz processor
- Adremo 330 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 4.7-inch IPS 1,280 x 720 retina display with 315 pixels-per-inch, dynamic contrast and circular polarizer for outdoor use (the rumored 3D display turns out to be a software-driven dynamic perspective effect as opposed to true 3D)
- Gorilla Glass 3 scratch-resistant screen with rubber frame
- 13MP rear-facing camera with F2.0 five element lens (giving it good low-light capability) and optical stabilization, and can capture full HD video at 30FPS
- Four 120-degree field-of-view front-facing cameras with IR illumination for head tracking for the dynamic perspective feature
- Sensors include: Dynamic Perspective sensor system with invisible infrared illumination, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
- Fire OS 3.5
- Dual-stereo speakers
- Tangle-free flat cabled headphones
- 32/64GB internal storage
- 2400mAh battery offering 22 hours of talk time, up to 285 hours of standby, up to 11 hours of video playback, and up to 65 hours of audio playback.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- A different, quirky handset
- Tightly bound to the Amazon ecosystem – if you're into that
Cons:
- Sales appear to have tanked badly
- Expensive
- Very gimmicky
- Expensive when compared to other Amazon hardware products
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