Amazon is preparing itself to hold a press event on Thursday and though it hasn’t revealed what it will be discussing or announcing, speculation is continuing to mount in all imaginable ways. The online retail giant gained popularity in the tablet market with the low priced Kindle Fire and it is likely going to announce a newer version of the same tablet but there might be more to it according to analysts. The Kindle Fire has come under heavy competition from the Google Nexus 7 which is priced the same but offers better performance. Some are saying that there will be two versions of the Kindle Fire on display while others add a “Paperwhite” eReader to the mix but the wildest possibility is that Amazon might show off a smartphone that it has allegedly been developing since a while.
According to The Verge, Amazon apparently has a smartphone in the pipeline and that might be announced on Thursday. According to anonymous sources, the smartphone exists and features a modified version of Google’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). In addition, it is going to feature Nokia Maps in place of Google Maps, which goes in tune with Nokia’s announcement at its event that it will be adding a new partner to its Maps service soon.
While further details about the phone are unclear as of now, the timing for a smartphone release is quite interesting. Some sources say that the phone is incomplete so it seems quite counterintuitive for Amazon to release it now. While Apple is all set to announce the new iPhone on the 12th of the month and other manufacturers like Nokia and Motorola have announced new devices and HTC is going to announce something on the 19th, it looks like Amazon too wants to get in on the hype about new smartphones.
If Amazon is indeed going to reveal a new phone, it further opens up the arena as the company is looking to target the Nexus 7 with a beefed up version of the Kindle Fire. With a smartphone in the mix, it can enter another segment and try to leverage its position over there. The smartphone, if released will definitely have tough competition from various manufacturers and Amazon will have to work with telecom operators and retailers to get the device to customers. The best bet is to go for a low price device like it did with the tablet.
