Overview
- Amazon’s devices boss, in a Financial Times interview published Wednesday, said making a new smartphone is not the company’s goal.
- He added there is no clear path that makes sense and said Amazon is not necessarily going after a phone.
- Reports from March by Reuters described an Alexa-led “Transformer” phone effort in early exploration with no carrier talks and an undecided design.
- Panay said the phone form factor will evolve over the next decade and noted Amazon is working on new types of hardware such as wearables.
- The failed 2014 Fire Phone still shapes the strategy, after Amazon booked about $170 million in losses, so consumers should not expect a straightforward handset soon.