From AT&T exclusivity to simple competition across Android and iOS markets, Amazon’s Fire phone may not pack enough firepower to realistically stand a chance in the real world.
Amazon’s first every Fire phone had been hyped for years, wowed the crowds at its unveiling and promising an arsenal of unique features never seen before in a Smartphone. So with this being the case, why are so many analysts and observers alike speaking so pessimistically about its chances?
There’s no denying the Fire phone is an impressive addition to the market – it’s not often we see anything that isn’t just a carbon copy of everything else. However, Amazon may have made one or two…or three…fatal mistakes in the Fire phones design and launch that could see it fall victim to industry leaders like so many before it.
First of all comes the AT&T exclusivity – it’s all well and good siding with a single carrier in order to garner its full support and marketing push, but at the same time you just end up shunning vast swathes of the consumer population. There are far too many people across the US that have already built and affinity with T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular and so on to even think about switching – especially not for a device that’s yet to prove its worth.
And for those keen on AT&T’s way of doing business, the Amazon Fire phone costs a pretty painful $199 with a two-year service agreement. Or if you’d rather take it home unlocked and contract-free, you’re looking at an outlay of $650. Now, not only is this a dangerously higher price than the majority of Android and iOS market leaders – even the LG G3 doesn’t cost this much – but you’re shelling out to-dollar for access to a vastly inferior app and content library than those of Google and Apple.
What’s more, you’ll also find yourself pretty much joined at the hip to Amazon’s stuff and their stuff alone – these kinds of devices are less all-round pocket computers and more 24/7 product catalogues.
And finally, the next three months or so are expected to bring around the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime, the Google Nexus 6, the US version of the LG G3, the Sony Xperia Z3, the HTC One M8 Prime and the iPhone 6 to name just a few of the newbies. And guess what – the vast majority will cost the same $199 on-contract, they’re guaranteed to hit more than one major carrier and their off-contract prices may be even lower than that of the Fire phone.
Good look Bezos…you’re gonna need it!