Amazon smartphone coming in late 2012, analyst says
Citigroup says the phone might cost less than $200
Computerworld - Amazon is working on a smartphone to be released in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to a Citigroup analyst quoted by All Things D.
Amazon officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Citigroup researcher Mark Mahaney wrote: "Based on our supply chain channel checks in Asia ... we believe an Amazon Smartphone will be launched in 4Q12."
The note added that Citigroup believes the Amazon smartphone will run the Texas Instrument OMAP 4 processor and is likely to have a dual-mode radio from Qualcomm.
Citigroup even suggested the device would cost $150 to $170 to build, and might be sold for about that amount. Amazon is selling the Kindle Fire tablet at $199, which is $10 less than one research firm determined was the $210 cost of building the device. The Kindle Fire runs an Amazon-customized version of Android 2.3, and Citigroup suggests the phone would also run Android.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at
@matthamblen or subscribe to
Matt's RSS feed. His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.
Read more about Smartphones in Computerworld's Smartphones Topic Center.


- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- What to Look For in Solutions For Mobile Device Management
- Managing an increasingly mobile workforce has become one of the most challenging - and important - responsibilities for IT departments. This paper examines...
- Tour Operator Uses BlackBerry Smartphone to Help Drive Sales
- Sending more than 22,000 high school and university students on trips abroad each year requires logistical prowess and constant communication. Dealing primarily with...
- Independent Guidelines for Enterprise Mobility
- With the ever accelerating adoption of mobile devices and applications in both the consumer world and the workplace, there is an increasing challenge...
- The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's Good Bones
- Find out why the BlackBerry Tablet OS built from the advanced QNX® Neutrino® real-time operating system makes the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet the smart...
- Telecom and Network Infrastructure Company Improves Inventory Accuracy
- Expertech developed a custom in-house built BlackBerry application called Expertech Tool Room to provide near real-time inventory and tracking of their capitalized tools.... All Smartphones White Papers
- The Office of Tomorrow with BlackBerry
- Curious about the office of the future and how to prepare with BlackBerry solutions? This session discusses the office needs of tomorrow and...
- The Changing Role of Tablets in the Enterprise
- Do you understand all the capabilities and potential of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet? BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet can help enterprises do business differently.
This webcast... - PlayBook Video about two Grade 6 classrooms that are using PlayBook tablets
- RIM recently worked with Park Manor Public School in Elmira, ON to integrate BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in two Grade 6 classrooms. The project...
- Introducing BlackBerry(R) Mobile Fusion - the evolution of Enterprise Mobility
- The landscape of the BlackBerry Enterprise portfolio is evolving to provide more function, more control and more possibilities to meet the needs of...
- Enterprise Ready Tablet Security
- Learn more about the design philosophy that drives all of the security features engineered into the BlackBerry® solution.
Hear how this philosophy drove the...
All Smartphones Webcasts
Prepaid service has started to transform from a source of cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel phones into a viable outlet for compelling smartphones. Read more...