Report: Amazon Is Working On An Android Phone (Yes, Again)

Image courtesy of DJHeini

Not one to let its past spectacular phone failure to get in the way, Amazon is reportedly working on a new smartphone that would run on Android, codenamed “Ice.” Because all know that naming its phone Fire didn’t work out so great in the past.

As you may recall, Amazon had to eat $170 million after it flew too close to the sun with its Fire Phone: Not even two months after it first went on sale in the fall of 2014, Amazon knocked down the price of the phone to only $0.99 with a two-year AT&T contract. A year later, the device was longer for sale and Amazon said it had sold off its global supply.

RELATED: 7 Products By The Biggest Tech Companies That Failed Miserably

NDTV cites “two sources familiar with the matter” who say that Amazon is trying again. But this time, things will be different: The Ice would be a lower-end device, priced at around $93, so it wouldn’t have to compete with the pricier iPhone. Amazon reportedly has an eye on India as a potential market for the phone.

An insider who’s tried the phone says one of the devices being tested features a display between 5.2 inches and 5.5 inches, a13-megapixel rear-camera, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.

It comes with Google’s AI Assistant, the source said, but does not have Alexa on it.

It’s unclear if the Ice name will stick, and so far, Amazon has declined to comment on NDTV’s report.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.