--- title: "Amazon plans to make a comeback more than a decade after the failure of Fire Phone" type: "News" locale: "zh-HK" url: "https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/280000404.md" description: "Amazon plans to return to the smartphone market over a decade after the failure of the Fire Phone, developing a new phone called \"Transformers.\" This phone will sync with the Alexa voice assistant and aims to become a communication channel for users throughout the day. This move is the latest attempt by Bezos to promote his vision of a voice-driven computing assistant, although the financial commitments and timeline for the project remain unclear. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on this" datetime: "2026-03-20T23:32:27.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280000404.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/280000404.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/280000404.md) --- > 支持的語言: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280000404.md) | [English](https://longbridge.com/en/news/280000404.md) # Amazon plans to make a comeback more than a decade after the failure of Fire Phone In 2014, Amazon launched its first smartphone, hoping to compete with Apple and Samsung. However, the Fire Phone, directly overseen by founder Jeff Bezos, was canceled in just over a year, becoming one of Amazon's most notable product failures. Now, Amazon is developing a new phone. According to four people familiar with the matter, this new phone, internally referred to as "Transformers," is being developed in Amazon's Devices and Services division. They stated that the phone is seen as a potential mobile personalization device that can sync with the home voice assistant Alexa and serve as a communication channel for Amazon customers throughout the day. This initiative is the latest chapter in Bezos's long-standing effort to bring his vision of an omnipresent voice-driven computing assistant to market, similar to the voice-controlled computer in the science fiction series "Star Trek." Bezos had envisioned launching a shopping-centric smartphone that would offer delivery convenience and discounts through Prime membership, thereby competing with Apple. In the process, Amazon could gain a wealth of new data about users, which could only be obtained through a phone combined with purchase history and content preferences. Amazon's efforts to develop a new smartphone had not been previously reported, including the expected price of the phone, the revenue Amazon hopes to achieve, or the financial commitment Amazon is making to the project. The timeline for Amazon's Transformers project is also unclear, with these individuals noting that the project could be canceled if the strategy changes or for financial reasons. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. According to the aforementioned individuals, the envisioned personalization features of the new phone would make shopping on the Amazon website, watching Prime Video, listening to Prime Music, or ordering food from partners like Grubhub unprecedentedly simple. They requested anonymity as they are not authorized to discuss internal matters. These individuals stated that a key focus of the Transformers project is to integrate artificial intelligence capabilities into the device. This would eliminate the need for a traditional app store, as traditional app stores require downloading and registering apps before use. They said that Alexa could become a core feature of the phone, but it may not necessarily be the primary operating system. In fact, in the brief history of AI-embedded hardware, there have been more failures than successes, including the Humane AI Pin and the RabbitR1 assistant, both of which attempted to provide generative AI without the need to log into a computer or phone. Both products received a lukewarm reception from critics, and the Humane Pin has also been discontinued. However, this has not deterred other companies from developing AI-native devices, moving away from the app-driven visual language of smartphones. OpenAI is collaborating with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to develop several hardware prototypes, while Apple, Google, and Meta are also working on new AI-embedded glasses and other devices such as watches and headphones "Francisco Jeronimo, Vice President of Data and Analytics at International Data Corporation, wrote in a research report on Friday: "Amazon may have an opportunity. The company has 'assembled a strong service ecosystem that encompasses commerce, content, cloud, the existing Alexa artificial intelligence infrastructure, and deep expertise in data-driven customer engagement.'" "The window of opportunity is small," he wrote. "Every major player is moving in the same direction." While Amazon's AWS dominates in providing global cloud computing infrastructure, the company has struggled to overcome its reputation for being slow to act in delivering artificial intelligence applications, as competitors have accelerated their progress. Before launching new products in 2025, Alexa underwent years of artificial intelligence transformation, seen internally as key to Amazon's future consumer-facing services. The aforementioned sources said this phone is another attempt by Amazon to accelerate customer use of artificial intelligence on devices or through Alexa. **The Failed Fire Phone** Amazon first entered the smartphone market in 2014, featuring capabilities like a camera-based shopping tool that could recognize products, find items for sale on the Amazon website, and place them in customers' online shopping carts. The proprietary FireOS of the Fire Phone lacked popular apps found in the Android and iOS app stores and had a complex multi-camera screen system for displaying 3D images, which consumed a lot of power and caused the phone to overheat frequently. Amazon bundled the Fire Phone with a year of free Amazon Prime, but its sales were still poor. Amazon dropped the price from the unlocked price of $649 to $159, ultimately discontinuing the phone after 14 months and incurring a loss of $170 million due to unsold inventory. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at financial firm R.W. Baird, said that while Amazon has failed in smartphones before, it doesn't mean the company can't try again, but he cautioned that it would be difficult. "Amazon must give consumers a compelling reason to switch phones, and people are quite attached to existing app stores." Like more than a decade ago, Amazon faces the daunting task of catching up to market leaders Apple and Samsung, which accounted for about 40% of global sales last year, according to technology-focused market research firm Counterpoint Research. According to IDC data, smartphone shipments are expected to see the largest decline in history in 2026, projected to drop by 13% due to rising device costs caused by soaring storage chip prices Breakthrough "Gadget Task According to the above-mentioned individuals, the project is led by a group called ZeroOne within Amazon's device division, which was established a year ago, with the mission to create "breakthrough" gadgets. ZeroOne is led by former Microsoft executive JAllard, who was involved in the development of devices such as the Zune music player and Xbox gaming console. Panos Panay, head of Amazon's Devices and Services division, has been working to turn around the department's unprofitable situation over the years. The company is also set to launch a tablet that will use the Android system for the first time instead of FireOS, with a price likely around $400. Three individuals involved in the Transformers project stated that the phone is still in development. Amazon has been exploring a traditional smartphone and a so-called "dumb phone," which has limited functionality but could help address screen addiction issues. These individuals noted that Amazon has not yet sought wireless carrier partners for the device. Two of these individuals mentioned that one of the inspirations for the new phone is the LightPhone, a minimalist smartphone priced at $700, equipped with a camera, maps, and a calendar, but with few other features like an app store or web browser. These individuals said that the dumb phone or feature phone could also help Amazon market it as a potential second phone to accompany users' iPhones and Samsung Galaxies. According to data from Counterpoint Research, phones like the LightPhone and flip phones are expected to account for 15% of global phone sales by 2025. Independent wireless analyst Chetan Sharma stated that there is little data on how many people carry more than one phone. He noted that this practice is most common among white-collar workers today, as they may want a second phone away from their employer's scrutiny, or parents may wish to provide a phone to teenagers to limit their access to social media ### 相關股票 - [Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares (AMZU.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/quote/AMZU.US.md) - [GraniteShares 2x Long AMZN Daily ETF (AMZZ.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/quote/AMZZ.US.md) - [Amazon (AMZN.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/quote/AMZN.US.md) - [Roundhill AMZN WeeklyPay ETF (AMZW.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/quote/AMZW.US.md) ## 相關資訊與研究 - [Amazon hopes to integrate AI voice features into phone through Alexa assistant, sources say](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279922714.md) - [Amazon brings Alexa+ to the UK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279788323.md) - [Inside Amazon: AI That's Supposed to Boost Productivity Is Backfiring](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279480889.md) - [EXCLUSIVE-Amazon plans smartphone comeback more than a decade after Fire Phone flop](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279921726.md) - [Amazon (AMZN) Stock Stays Flat After Acquiring Rivr Robototics Startup](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279979222.md)