Does Amazon Make Phones in 2025? (Features, Cost + More)

Hey there! If you‘re curious whether Amazon still makes smartphones in 2024, you‘ve come to the right place. I‘m going to walk you through the full story behind Amazon‘s first (and only) phone – the Fire Phone.

We‘ll explore what it was like, why it flopped, and whether Amazon is still in the mobile device game today. Let‘s dive in!

A Quick Recap: What Was the Amazon Fire Phone?

First things first – the Fire Phone was a smartphone released by Amazon back in 2014.

It ran a custom version of Android called Fire OS and was packed with deep integration with Amazon‘s services. The Fire Phone was ambitiously positioned to compete with Apple and Samsung flagships.

But despite hype leading up to its launch, the Fire Phone ended up a huge failure in the market. More on that soon!

The Fire Phone Launch: High Hopes

Amazon unveiled the Fire Phone in July 2014 at a flashy media event led by Jeff Bezos himself. This was a big deal – Amazon taking on the smartphone giants!

Initial pricing put the phone at:

• $199 with a 2-year AT&T contract
• $650 without any contract

That put it firmly in the premium range, comparable with an iPhone or Galaxy S5 at the time.

The Fire Phone was available exclusively from AT&T in the US. Rumors before launch suggested Amazon was seeking a wider release.

But in the end, they went with a single carrier partner. This limited the Fire Phone‘s availability right out of the gate.

Fire Phone Hardware: Specs and Design

On the hardware front, the Fire Phone aimed to compete with the latest high-end smartphones:

• Display: 4.7" IPS LCD at 720p resolution. Scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass.

• Processor: 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800

• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM, 32/64GB internal storage

• Cameras: 13MP rear, 2.1MP front

• Battery: 2400 mAh with 22h estimated talk time

• Materials: Aluminum frame, plastic composite back

• Dimensions: 5.5 x 2.6 x 0.35 inches, 160 grams

Overall build quality was solid, with a slim angular profile and rubberized edges for grip. The glossy glass rear looked slick but was fragile.

Here‘s how those core specs stacked up to rival phones in 2014:

As you can see, the Fire Phone was competitive on paper in most areas. But ultimately it failed to stand out from more polished iPhone and Galaxy offerings.

Fire Phone Software: Amazon‘s Android Spin

On the software side, the Fire Phone ran Fire OS – Amazon‘s own fork of Android. The interface was customized for content consumption.

Some notable aspects of Fire OS:

• Heavily integrated Amazon services like Prime Video, Music, Audible, Kindle, and the Amazon Appstore.

• No Google Play Services or Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, Chrome etc. This was a dealbreaker for many.

• Added features like ASAP predictive app loading, integrated product search via Firefly, and Dynamic Perspective head-tracking.

• Based on a dated Android 4.2 codebase at launch. Felt unpolished next to iOS 8 and Android 4.4.

Fire OS aimed to differentiate the phone. But most reviewers found the software half-baked, saying it lacked polish and app selection.

Exclusive features like Dynamic Perspective were more gimmicky than useful. Only the Firefly scanning feature stood out as truly innovative for its time.

How Did Critics and Consumers Receive the Fire Phone?

The Fire Phone was hoping to disrupt the smartphone market like Amazon had done in other categories.

Unfortunately, reviews from technology critics were decidedly mixed:

• Wired: "A perplexing product that confounds expectations."

• The Verge: "A remarkably half-baked product loaded with fancy tech but lacking basics."

• Ars Technica: "Full of neat tricks but held back by its maker‘s overreach."

Many praised innovations like Firefly but lamented the lack of apps, ecosystem, and polish compared to iOS and Android. The gimmicks couldn‘t make up for core shortcomings.

Consumer sales numbers painted a similar picture:

• Estimated only 35,000 units sold in the first 20 days.

• As few as 10,000 phones sold in the first 3 months according to some analysts.

• The Fire Phone was Amazon‘s second biggest flop behind the Fire TV.

• Price cuts from $199 to $0.99 within 6 weeks show Amazon‘s desperation to boost adoption.

Despite heavy advertising and promotion across Amazon‘s site, Prime member exclusives, and massive discounts, the Fire Phone failed to gain significant traction.

The Fire Phone is Discontinued: What Happened?

By August 2015, Amazon had removed the phone from their website entirely. Multiple factors contributed to its downfall:

• High price: $199 on-contract was steep compared to more proven options. Drops to $0.99 reeked of desperation.

• Limited distribution: AT&T exclusivity severely restricted availability in an increasingly carrier-agnostic market.

• Immature platform: Fire OS was rough around the edges. Lacked key apps and Google services integration.

• No killer feature: Dynamic Perspective and Firefly didn‘t compel people to switch platforms. Felt gimmicky.

• Design compromises: Glass heavy design was a durability liability. Overall hardware was solid but forgettable.

In the end, the Fire Phone burned out quickly after launching to high expectations. Amazon failed to lure consumers away from the dominant Apple and Google ecosystems.

What About Amazon and Mobile Devices Today?

So now in 2024, over 7 years after the Fire Phone‘s launch, does Amazon make smartphones nowadays?

The short answer is no – Amazon appears to have given up on phones after the Fire Phone failure.

There are no signs of Amazon releasing a new smartphone model or sequel. The company has not filed any related patents or made announcements hinting at re-entering the mobile market.

Amazon seems content ceding smartphones to Apple and Android while focusing their mobile efforts on Fire tablets.

Fire OS continues powering Fire HD tablets to this day. And innovations like Alexa integration and Firefly emerged in other Amazon products, proving the Fire Phone wasn‘t a total waste.

But no major analysts expect Amazon to take another shot at smartphones anytime soon after getting burned so badly.

The iPhone and Galaxy duopoly remains firmly entrenched. For now, Amazon‘s mobile strategy sticks to expanding Alexa voice tech rather than challenging Apple and Google directly on phones again.

So in summary – no, Amazon does not sell smartphones in 2024. The Fire Phone was their first and last attempt. But it did plant seeds that grew into other parts of Amazon‘s business!

Hope this overview was helpful to explain Amazon‘s short-lived stint in the smartphone arena and why they‘re unlikely to return there. Let me know if you have any other tech questions!