Amazon plans big announcement, teases possible smartphone
The curtain hiding a rumored smartphone release from Amazon was lifted slightly today as the online retail giant scheduled a “launch event” for June 18 in Seattle.
Amazon has scheduled a “launch event” for June 18 in Seattle, where it is expected to introduce its first smartphone.
The online retailer remains coy about identifying its new product. It announced the event Wednesday through a tweet along with a YouTube video teaser that shows users reacting to something being held at lap level, but doesn’t show what’s in their hands.
According to the tech website BGR, the expected phone employs several infrared sensors to track a user’s face in relation to the phone’s display, making images on the screen appear in 3-D.
Anyone can request an invitation to the event by submitting a form on a dedicated Amazon page. There, Amazon includes a partial image of a thin, flat black device.
If the object is indeed a smartphone, the company will be entering a crowded market dominated by Apple and Samsung. Amazon, with its Kindle Fire devices, already competes against these companies in the tablet market.
