Poll results: Is Amazon's Fire phone a game changer?

posted by Florin T. / Jun 25, 2014, 9:27 PM

Poll results: Is Amazon's Fire phone a game changer?

Amazon announced its very first smartphone last week, calling it the Fire phone, and saying that it’s going to release it on July 25 (with pre-orders available since the day of the announcement). After checking out all the new features of the Fire phone, we wondered if the handset could be considered a game changer, and we made a poll asking you the same thing.

Most of our readers who answered the poll (71.68%, or 1,691 people) believe that the Amazon Fire phone is not a game changer. The rest - 28.32%, or 668 people - seem to think that the handset can really change things, though we haven’t seen detailed responses about this in the comments.

Two of the Fire phone’s main features are Firefly (which can recognize about 100,000 items, allowing you to instantly buy them... from Amazon), and the 3D "dynamic perspective" interface (which uses four infrared cameras to track the position of users). While these may not make the handset a game changer, it looks like Samsung and LG are monitoring its potential success anyway.

Amazon already proved that it can disrupt a newly-entered market (with the Kindle Fire tablets), so its Fire phone will certainly not be ignored by current smartphone makers. However, we’ll have to wait a bit before knowing if this new handset is, or isn’t a game changer.

Is the Amazon Fire phone a game changer?

Yes

28.32%

71.68%

Options

26 Comments

1. Mark7

Posts: 21; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

MKBHD Quote - I won't be buying this phone, Neither should you.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 9:36 PM 16

14. AnTuTu

Posts: 1620; Member since: Oct 14, 2012

hahaha yeah he nailed it with the review :)

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 11:36 PM 1

18. sniperdroid

Posts: 146; Member since: May 23, 2013

Love his reviews.

posted on Jun 26, 2014, 4:56 AM 1

20. reckless562

Posts: 1153; Member since: Sep 09, 2013

#dynamicperspective #notagimmick #3Dwithoutglasses

posted on Jul 02, 2014, 3:36 PM 0

2. fzacek

Posts: 2486; Member since: Jan 26, 2014

The 3D dynamic perspective interface is is just a huge gimmick. It looks cool for a while but then you get over it and it becomes just a useless gimmick. Firefly is just marketing for Amazon products...

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 9:39 PM 7

4. NotAGeek

Posts: 279; Member since: Jan 26, 2014

Of course,amazon made this phone so amazon customers can easily buy products with the firefly feature.For an average phone user,i don't think that it's useful,especially if you don't like to shop at amazon

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 9:48 PM 0

22. reckless562

almost Everything is cheaper @ amazon.....ppl will find this out eventually

posted on Jul 02, 2014, 3:37 PM 0

21. reckless562

3. rallyguy

Posts: 620; Member since: Mar 13, 2012

It's the phone version of a Kindle. If you prefer a Kindle over a regular tablet, then you may like this phone.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 9:46 PM 0

23. reckless562

5. fanboy1974

Posts: 1345; Member since: Nov 12, 2011

There are just too many checks in the cons box to consider this phone. There is a market for the phone but given the price and features it's ultimately not worth it for a non-Prime customer. If the price was $200 off contract that would be a game changer. But asking $200 on contract is a big mistake. Even free on contract still makes the phone overpriced. And to limit the phone to At&t in this day and age is just stupid.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 9:49 PM 4

6. jack123

Posts: 278; Member since: Jan 07, 2013

So, Amazon will give you $200 rebate if you sign fire Phone for year contract! And the price will make sense right?

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:03 PM 0

13. fanboy1974

It's the contract price that's throwing me off. A phone like the Nexus 5 would be silly to get on contract because I would rather buy it out right and sell it for a small lost after a year. But this Amazon phone is not worth the asking price and the aggravation that a 2 year contract brings. I would rather buy an iPhone before getting this phone even if the Fire phone was free on contract. I love to shop at Amazon but that's it. I don't like the forked Android their using. And just look at the cool features of Android L. No chance that's hitting this Fire phone.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 11:01 PM 3

7. zennacko unregistered

^ THAT. If you really want to buy a Snapdragon 800 phone with lots of cool stuff and no contract to bind you, you can always buy a Z1 Compact for $500-ish, you won't get a year of Amazon Prime (that goes for $100-ish IIRC), and some contract fans will say it is "too expensive" because it's not subsidized like the $200 iPhones, but you'll be better off doing that. Like I said, it will be a top-line Snapdragon 800 phone (with SD card slot!) AND you'll be free to use it on any of the 2 GSM carriers and their MVNOs

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:05 PM 1

24. reckless562

THank YOU!!! i was like wtf AT&T?!?!?! do they Want my Money or not?!?!?!

posted on Jul 02, 2014, 3:39 PM 0

8. Augustine

Posts: 1043; Member since: Sep 28, 2013

One thing did the Fire do well: with just a few bands, it got a set that would allow a globetrotter to use LTE virtually anywhere in the world where it's available.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:14 PM 0

9. thunderkat

Posts: 23; Member since: Jun 23, 2014

Ninth :)

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:28 PM 1

10. thunderkat

Nope not a game changer totally expecting the results.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:29 PM 1

11. CX3NT3_713

Posts: 2361; Member since: Apr 18, 2011

I think the 3D UI is a game changer.. Reminds me of the astonishing tribe UI.... However I might get it.. Maybe not.. Since it runs android -,-

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:54 PM 0

25. reckless562

and ur point is?

posted on Jul 02, 2014, 3:42 PM 0

12. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Umm,. No. Happy meal phone of sorts.

posted on Jun 25, 2014, 10:59 PM 1

15. techloverNYC

Posts: 601; Member since: Nov 20, 2012

Amazon have to pay us for using this phone. The purpose of this device is more Amazon then phone. It I mean this is basically an express amazon checkout machine, the only thing this phone does better than other phone is it links you faster to amazon's services. The fact that its charging flagship device prices is shocking due to the mid specs its packing. Like its tablets the price will go lower when Amazon realize it can't compete with the big boys.

posted on Jun 26, 2014, 12:15 AM 3

19. j2001m

Posts: 3061; Member since: Apr 28, 2014

If it was apple you all say it's a game changer and it will have been locked to there own shop,but not in this case you can make an app and the phone will help you buy it from you I.e. its open

posted on Jun 26, 2014, 7:30 AM 1

26. reckless562

posted on Jul 02, 2014, 3:43 PM 0

16. BUFFQREWBBQ

Posts: 46; Member since: May 11, 2014

Who told them this was a good idea? Gimmicky and kind of a joke. I don't want a phone that makes it easier for someone to sell me stuff. Ridiculous concept. I wouldn't buy this phone with someone else's money, much less on one carrier. Massive fail and waste of technology. They should stick to the kindles and close up shop, they're not ready to sell phones.