Codenamed “Transformer,” the phone will reportedly focus on Amazon’s AI assistant and draw inspiration from the Light Phone. Over a decade after discontinuing the Fire Phone, Amazon is reportedly planning to introduce another smartphone centered around Alexa. According to Reuters, the phone, code-named “Transformer,” will emphasize Amazon’s AI assistant, though Alexa might not be its primary operating system.
“Transformer” is being developed by Amazon’s ZeroOne group, led by J Allard, who formerly worked on the Zune and Xbox at Microsoft. Allard’s team has explored both smartphone and “dumbphone” designs, inspired by the $700 minimalist Light Phone, which has a black-and-white display and no app store.
App availability posed significant issues for the original Fire Phone, something Amazon may aim to avoid entirely this time. Sources familiar with the new phone suggest that integrating AI capabilities into the device has been a central objective, possibly indicating that “Transformer” could rely on mini apps like those in ChatGPT instead of a full app store.
There is no current timeline for the release of “Transformer,” if it ever happens, or its potential cost. The original Fire Phone launched at $199 but failed to gain traction, leading Amazon to discontinue it a year later. Amazon has been striving to keep up with competitors in AI, which might be fueling its renewed smartphone ambitions. However, the company could still face challenges winning over users with its revamped version of Alexa. Users posted complaints after being automatically upgraded to the LLM-powered Alexa Plus earlier this year, citing ad overload and slower response times.