Are we getting any closer to seeing an Amazon-branded smartphone? Ever since the company got into the Android game with the introduction of the Kindle Fire, we’ve wondered if Amazon might use that experience to branch out into smartphones, taking advantage of the kind of connectivity that phones offer to find new ways to expose customers to its retail offerings. That rumor’s been kicking around ever since, and last year we saw a few blips on the radar claiming to offer details about how Amazon would manufacture such a device. Last we heard, a mid-2013 launch was supposedly in the works. Now some new rumors suggest that delays have pushed that date back a little father into the year.

According to the latest rumors, Foxconn subsidiary Ensky Tech won’t be able to begin producing the Amazon smartphone in any sort of capacity until at least June. That may result in the phone not hitting retail until well into the second half of the year, though it sounds likely that we could still be looking a a launch before summer’s over.

Of course, that’s assuming that all of this is true, and while we’ve heard a lot of rumors, there really hasn’t been any leak of hard evidence to help corroborate claims. Perhaps that day will still come eventually, and for now the hardware is supposedly still undergoing engineering verification testing.

Amazon may intend to sell its smartphone for less than $200, though we don’t know if that’s supposed to be on-contract, off-contract, or somehow subsidized with Amazon advertising.

Source: Digitimes
Via: IntoMobile