Amazon is reportedly planning its return to the smartphone market with an Alexa-focused device, codenamed "Transformer," more than a decade after the catastrophic failure of the Fire Phone.
According to a Reuters report published today, the new device would serve as a "mobile personalization device" deeply integrated with Amazon's ecosystem — including Prime Video, Prime Music, Grubhub, and Amazon.com shopping. Unlike the Fire Phone, which launched in 2014 and was discontinued just a year later, the new phone would lean heavily on AI-powered Alexa as a core feature.
The most ambitious claim? Amazon believes Alexa could "eliminate the need for traditional app stores" — a bold statement given that the lack of apps was precisely what killed the Fire Phone. The Amazon Appstore in 2014 was a barren wasteland compared to Google Play, and users simply weren't willing to sacrifice their favorite apps for Amazon's 3D gimmicks.
Our Take
This is either visionary or delusional, and the line between the two has never been thinner. The smartphone market is brutally competitive — even giants like LG and HTC have effectively bowed out. But Amazon has something most challengers don't: a massive services ecosystem and over 200 million Prime members worldwide. If Alexa has truly evolved into something that can replace app-by-app interactions with a unified AI layer, this could genuinely work. The timing also matters — Nothing's Carl Pei just said at SXSW that "apps are going to disappear." Whether Amazon can execute where it previously failed spectacularly remains the real question.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon is developing an Alexa-focused smartphone codenamed "Transformer"
- The device would deeply integrate with Prime Video, Music, Grubhub, and Amazon shopping
- AI-powered Alexa would be central, potentially replacing traditional app stores
- The original Fire Phone launched in 2014 and was a historic commercial failure
- The project could still be scrapped if strategy shifts or financial concerns arise
Source: 9to5Google, Reuters
