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Amazon Devices Chief Plays Down New Smartphone Plans, Signals AI Hardware Focus

The stance points to Alexa-led devices shaped by lessons from the failed Fire Phone.

Overview

  • Panos Panay, in a Financial Times interview published Wednesday, said Amazon is not "necessarily" pursuing a traditional smartphone.
  • He said the phone form is staying but changing over the next decade, hinting at new kinds of mobile gear.
  • He added that Amazon would not pitch "another phone" again after the 2014 Fire Phone flop and the $170 million write-off.
  • Reuters previously reported an internal Alexa-centric device codenamed "Transformer," with coverage saying teams tested both smartphone and basic phone designs and that Alexa or Alexa Plus would be central.
  • Amazon has not confirmed any such product or timeline, so an AI-first device remains a reported exploration rather than a plan.