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Amazon's Kindle Fire Phone was a rare misstep for the visitor. Amazon chose to try leaping straight into the high-finish smartphone market rather than atomic number 82 with an affordable midrange production, and sales suffered accordingly. The company quietly killed the Fire Phone less than a yr afterward launch, only the device's demise apparently didn't mean the end of Amazon's mobile ambitions.

A new report from The Information suggests Amazon is interested in working with 3rd-political party manufacturers to gain deeper access to Android. The study claims that the sales giant wants to do much more than just preload applications. The goal would exist to create a third-political party device that used Amazon'southward Kindle UI and software to mimic the feel available on an Amazon Burn down tablet.

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX. Not quite as sexy as the iPad Air, but yet a hateful car.

In theory, this could be a win for both sides. Amazon would have access to a platform for rolling out new services and capabilities, equally well as access to potential Amazon Prime number customers. The device manufacturer might exist able to negotiate for a piece of revenue if customers signed upward for Amazon Prime number, or when they purchased products from their phones. Amazon already offers these kinds of deals for companies that package preloaded applications; preferred partners might earn a larger share of revenue or receive other financial considerations.

Fifty-fifty if that choice isn't on the table, Amazon partners would (at least theoretically) gain access to Amazon'south ain storefront and product capabilities without having to develop such options themselves.

It'due south not articulate, however, if users would be pleased with the same level of deep Amazon integration. Amazon'south hardware division has e'er been a platform for driving sales to Amazon.com, only the visitor used to go to greater lengths to hide that fact. The latest version of FireOS devotes more than space to advertisements overall, and whatever hypothetical smartphone would likely packet and heavily promote Amazon Prime number and its various features rather than integrating with more popular services like Netflix.

None of these options are deal breakers, at to the lowest degree not for most people, and it makes sense for Amazon to look into third-political party partnerships if it wants to abound FireOS into a genuine Google culling. Right now, the relatively pocket-sized size of the Kindle marketplace means that comparatively few people are fully plugged into the Amazon app ecosystem.

If the thought pans out, nosotros might ane twenty-four hours come across Amazon offer discounted smartphones every bit an Amazon Perk, or alternately give Prime away every bit role of a high-end smartphone purchase. The company isn't commenting on whether it has this type of programme in the works, but information technology wouldn't surprise usa if it did.