Amazon says it has no plans to offer a phone this year and refuted the idea that if it did it would offer said phone for free.
A Sept. 6 blog post on www.Jessicalessin.com that cited people familiar with the matter reported that Amazon was set to launch a smartphone. Lessin said the the company had already been in talks with carriers about offering the phone.
The rumor, however, was just that. A Bloomberg report today quotes an Amazon spokesman who refguted both a possible launch of a phone this year and the notion that if/when the company does launch a phone it would be free.
The idea that Amazon is preparing a smartphone for launch has been circulating for some time now. The company has an ecosystem of devices, content and billing systems in place that is on par with those esablished by Apple and Google, which could make a mobile device from Amazon an attractive option for consumers.
Amazon’s Kindle tablet devices run on a modified version of Google’s Android operating system.
The rumor was shot down at the beginning of a month that has been loaded with device news. Last week, Samsung, LG and Sony all took wraps off new flagship devices at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. Tomorrow, Apple CEO Tim Cook will take the stage at an event in Cupertino, CA where the company is expected to show off the latest iPhones.