“If I black and white say no, I would say that was accurate. But I also think it’s misleading.”
Amazon’s head of devices and services, Panos Panay, has stated that the company is “not necessarily” planning to release a smartphone, although he did not completely rule out the possibility. Previously, it was reported that Amazon is working on an Alexa-enabled AI phone code-named “Transformer,” more than a decade after the unsuccessful launch of its Fire Phone.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Panay was directly questioned about the company’s plans for another smartphone. “It’s just not the goal,” he responded. “I know there’s a lot of rumors out there.”
“I think your black and white question is, are you going after a phone? A lot of people want me to say no, but a lot of people want me to say yes, I get it. Here’s my take: it’s not necessarily [that] we’re going after a phone, no.”
“It’s a tricky question,” he continued. “If I black and white say no, I would say that was accurate. But I also think it’s misleading.”
Panay’s lengthy response appears to revolve around the evolving nature of smartphones, which he believes are not disappearing but are instead “going through some transformation, and will continue to do so over the next 10 years.” His remarks could imply that whatever Amazon is developing may not conform to traditional phone definitions. Details on the Transformer project are scarce, but it is known that both smartphone and “dumbphone” designs were considered, and Amazon’s Alexa Plus AI assistant will play a pivotal role in the device.
Regarding AI wearables, Panay mentioned “a whole new set of form factors that we’re working on,” suggesting that the company’s phone plans might fit within those parameters. However, it seems that after Amazon’s unsuccessful venture with the Fire Phone and Panay’s experience with the Surface Duo at Microsoft, there is no rush to launch a conventional smartphone again.