GoKawiilAmazon wants to get back in the smartphone game, but this time it won’t be playing with fire. Consumers might remember that the company launched the ill-fated Fire Phone in 2014, but scrapped the project barely a year later due to tepid sales.
Now the company is back at it, developing a new smartphone codenamed “Transformer” that focuses on AI integration. The phone is designed to sync with Alexa and make buying from Amazon, watching Prime Video, listening to Prime Music, and ordering food easier than ever. Unlike last time, when Jeff Bezos ran the project, the new effort is being developed within Amazon’s devices and services unit.
The timeline for the project is unclear, and sources cautioned it could be abandoned if the strategy shifts or due to financial concerns. Amazon declined to comment. The company’s stock has fallen 9.3% this year.