2014年6月19日星期四

Amazon's Fire phone has middling looks and high spot aspirations

Amazon's Fire phone has middling looks and high spot aspirations

It was merely a difficulty of moment in time or Amazon launched a smartphone. Inside the long-ago 10 years, the company's extended its get a message to from the online realm into mean hardware, and behind the addition of the Fire television recently, the smartphone was the keep on foremost device genre it hadn't explored. Amazon's to the top with the intention of void with the Fire phone, an AT&T-exclusive smartphone with the intention of ships inside eleventh-hour July in lieu of precisely under $200. Chief executive Jeff Bezos spent ended an hour on stage discussing the just starting out phone's litany of skin texture and how its individuality gives it an improvement ended a large amount other handsets the Fire phone bidding compete with. It's genuine: Thumbs down other diplomacy retain six cameras and quick access to tech support, and skin texture like Firefly and Dynamic Perspective help bestow the device a idea of its own.

Inside a crowded smartphone industry, differentiation is crucial. Diplomacy with the intention of don't retain several stand-out skin texture won't make noticed amidst the support of the clamor. Fortunately, Amazon's got nothing to apprehension in relation to at this point, but a have a desire for onstage presentation doesn't each time translate into real user experience. Let's take a closer look by the side of the Fire phone to perceive if our early impressions match could you repeat that? We maxim by the side of today's statement.

Excepting the five cameras on the front, the Fire phone looks like an middling device. Inside many ways, the build reminds me of the Nexus 4: Gorilla schooner adorns the front and rear, and the plastic sides get a message to vaguely around the back. With a 4.7-inch make an exhibition of, I had thumbs down unruly use the phone -- Bezos was fixed with the intention of this size is optimal in lieu of one-handed wastage, and although I desire vaguely better diplomacy, Amazon believes with the intention of this size is the "sweet spot" in lieu of its users; not too generous, but not too lesser. Its 8.9mm thickness doesn't brand it too bulky, and the back is narrower than the front, so my employee wrapped around it pretty simply.

In relation to persons five cameras? Being accustomed to a single front-facing lens on the vast majority of smartphones, a lens in lieu of every corner gives the phone a weird look. If you already feel like giant Brother is watching you, the detail with the intention of five eyes are looking by the side of you as soon as you wastage the phone probably won't help your doubts. Of sequence, they're here in lieu of a grounds: Single of Amazon's unique offerings is its 3D-like Dynamic Perspective introduce. The cameras take on a Kinect-like role by looking by the side of everywhere your deal with is positioned, and how far away it is from the phone. Even though it merely technically requires two cameras to look after this occupation, Amazon opted in lieu of four precisely inside basis particular part of your body obstructs single otherwise two of the lenses.

It mechanism to the same extent advertised. A lock screen showed a balloon with mountains inside the background, and to the same extent I stirred my have control over from single face of the phone to the then, I felt like I was peeking around with the intention of balloon. This bidding as well go inside multipurpose in lieu of games: Here was a game everywhere I was a snowboarder, and my body stirred inside the direction with the intention of my have control over stirred. I may possibly as well relax my have control over up to brand my character look after a skip. This may possibly stay a fun notion inside theory, but it'll take me a bunch of getting used to; every moment in time I stirred my have control over, my employee logically stirred the phone with me, which defeated the totality tenacity.

Users with activity queasiness bidding not like the Dynamic Perspective option. It reminds me of the parallax activity on iOS 7, a introduce with the intention of frustrated a average digit of iPhone and iPad users. Fortunately, Amazon bidding give permission you curve this introduce inedible, but execs believe it's an essential part of the experience. Raid Williams, VP of software, assumed with the intention of customers must stay able to look after could you repeat that? They choose with their phones, but it's such an vital introduce with the intention of he doesn't know why everybody would choose to wastage the phone if with the intention of introduce is bowed inedible.

Firefly is an additional crucial promotion feature in lieu of Amazon. It's not unlike a large amount QR code readers publicized here, but it can read several types of in rank and bestow you related details in relation to with the intention of info -- and it ultimately stands to stay Amazon's currency cow, since many of the products you look into bidding bestow you a at the appointed time to purchase it through the retailer's service. To the same extent Bezos claimed inside his presentation, Firefly indeed does a important occupation of overcoming glare; I successfully scanned a disc even though the cover had so much glare with the intention of my creature eyes couldn't even be included publicized could you repeat that? It assumed. It as well does a skillful occupation alternative up movies, television shows and composition, but I was disappointed to hit upon publicized with the intention of it wasn't able to understand a song as soon as I sang it.

An additional area inside which Amazon is demanding to stay several is its wastage of gestures to navigate through its three-panel design. Flick the phone to the amend to jerk up a roll of Amazon's services and skin texture; flick it to the gone to make something reminiscent of a notifications panel, which offers imminent appointments, messages and other related in rank. Slight tilts inside either direction trigger could you repeat that? Amazon calls "peek," which lets you take a quick look by the side of the year, moment in time, battery life and signify. A swivel-motion gesture brings up a fast-access screen with the intention of can make you into settings and other critical tools. Granted, you can wastage your fingers to jerk all of these menus up, but it's multipurpose as soon as you categorically retain to grasp the phone one-handed.

The software is Fire OS 3.5, which is a forked version of machine 4.2 Jelly Bean (or the AOSP, by the side of least). However, Williams insists with the intention of there's very slight relation linking the two, primarily since Amazon has made so many adjustments of its own with the intention of it has a load of several skin texture and just starting out user interface elements on top. To the same extent may possibly stay probable, Google tease Services won't stay presented on the Fire phone, but here must stay a way to sideload APKs. A press of the at home button bidding give permission you switch back and forth linking the app grid and the carousel. The carousel gives you the gift to look by the side of repeatedly (and recently) opened apps, and every app can roll inedible particular hot notifications -- in lieu of case in point, the USA at the moment app shows infringement news stories; the email app shows hot emails; and the calendar app offers up your then appointments. To the same extent in lieu of the app grid itself, you can deposit apps inside whatever order you choose, to the same extent well to the same extent add added content like books, websites and other explicit items.

Oddly, the Fire phone won't launch with Bluetooth LE, though Williams confirms with the intention of the hardware does support it. This likely earnings the phone bidding make updated with software support in lieu of the spec eventually, but Amazon couldn't bestow me several authoritative confirmation on as soon as this bidding take place. And this is going away to stay a vast unenthusiastic in lieu of everybody who owns (or is thinking in relation to buying) wearables, since many of them rely on Bluetooth LE to bond to the phone. In lieu of a flagship effect launching inside 2014, this was a tad of a wonder.

Spec-wise, it isn't the a large amount impressive phone, despite unassailable a $199 charge tag on-contract ($650 off-contract). But it's not horrible either -- it's simply could you repeat that? You'd expect from an middling phone. Of sequence, Amazon's focus is on could you repeat that? Makes it unique; the gestures, imaging prowess, Dynamic Perspective and Amazon services are differentiating factors with the intention of it can boast ended other smartphones. Its exclusivity with AT&T limits the digit of public who bidding choose to purchase the phone, unfortunately, and Amazon isn't interested inside promotion it to the same extent a WiFi-only device. "Using a phone to the same extent no matter which other than a phone isn't realistic inside today's planet," Williams assumed. With the intention of assumed, he as well emphasized with the intention of this is precisely the establishment: While he wouldn't confirm several imminent products, he assumed with the intention of Amazon didn't invest multiple years into these skin texture in lieu of precisely single device.

Tags : Amazon ,  phone

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