Amazon is planning on significantly expanding its line of hardware devices, Greg Bensinger at the Wall Street Journal reports.
Amazon is developing two new smartphones as well as an audio streaming device, which we assume would be like a Jambox, says Bensinger.
Previously, there was a report Amazon was developing a video streaming box that rivals Apple TV and Roku.
If all of these reports are accurate, Amazon is going to have quite the suite of hardware products.
One of the two smartphones Amazon is developing will reportedly have a 3D screen that can track your eye movements. The 3D screen on this high-end smartphone would not require glasses. Images would appear to float on the screen like a hologram, says Bensinger.
You never want to pre-judge a product that doesn't exist, but this sounds really bad. It sounds like a mess of horrendous gimmicks.
There is no value in a 3D screen. HTC made a phone with a 3D screen, the EVO 3D. It didn't come out with a second 3D phone, which tells you all you need to know.
When HTC failed to follow with a second 3D phone, an HTC rep explained the decision to CNET, saying, "I wouldn't say 3D was necessarily dead, I mean never say never, but we don't have any new products with 3D in the lineup. That's based partially on customer feedback, what we know the market wants, and also a design decision we've made."
As for eye-tracking, Samsung is trying that and it's not working. Amazon has failed to produce great software, so we see little-to-no chance that its going to do good eye tracking software.
The smartphone market is very crowded. Amazon understandbly wants to roll out a smartphone that stands out from the crowd. 3D screens and eye tracking are not the best way to stand out.
If Amazon really wants to do something great with the smartphone it should focus on data plan pricing. If it could radically cut consumers' monthly cell phone bills it would have a winner.
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