I'm forking this off from a previous thread about Cortana.

Quote> Amazon Fire

I'm thinking it's just a matter of time before Amz comes out with a phone again.  They seem to be quietly building all the cloud infrastructure for it, photo storage, cloud storage, App Store, talking assistant, marketing outlet with increadable eyeballs, their own music and video streaming stores and their own OS.

Make low to mid price phones, build both Alexa and Cortana in, good speed, battery and screen and go.  Add instant coupons when you walk in a Whole Foods.  Bang.

Amazon appears to be coming out with a new Fire Phone designed for emerging markets.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/07/amazoncom-isnt-giving-up-on-phones-yet.aspx?source=isaaplcs0000001&utm_campaign=article&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=apple-news

Summary:
1. Use current Android OS with full access to Google play store.
2. Target India and their high end market.
3. Focus more on the needs of the users not Amazons needs.
4. There is some disagreement among sources if the phone will be built around Alexa or not.  My gut hunch is Amazon would be a fool NOT to build the phone around Alexa.  Currently, Alexa is not ready, it needs to be able to open phone apps and do things with those verbally on Android.  I suspect that capability is coming.  Soon.

What about the high end developed market?  That market is owned by Apple and Samsung and a few others and it would be foolish for Amazon to try to go head to head against those players.  But maybe we get a hint here:
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-tencent-join-300m-investment-in-andy-rubins-essential/#ftag=CAD-09-10aai5b

Andy Rubin wants Essential Phone to work with or play nice across different platforms.  Amazon is an investor.  So, when it is ready, maybe add Alexa to high end developed world phones?  And not just Essential, HTC already has Alexa in its U11 model and Huawei has it in it's Mate 9.  The point is get other phone manufacturers to fight your battle for you by building phones around an increasingly more capable Alexa.

Well USA Today denies Amazon is working on a phone.  Makes some sense why they would not.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2017/09/26/amazon-alexa-phone-echo/703141001/

The fact that USA Today is covering this rumor tells me it might have some substance.  I can't see Amz conceding the mobile space and being content in just the home forever.  But Alexa is not ready yet to go head to head with Google and Apple on phones. They need some time to develop while the Big Two are not watching.

>can't see Amz conceding the mobile space

Debbie says the same.

I'll add that the developing Grocery Wars between Amz and Walmart may also push Amz into phones. BOTH are making pushes into online sales to low income households ^{(saw a headline that said WM will accept EIC)} and phones are the dominant ISPs in that demographic.

A new Fire Phone needs to be more than a shopping gateway. It can be that but it also has to work for both business and personal living.  There has to be a flagship model that business people won't be embarrassed to own.

1. It has to use mainline Android and the Google Play Store.
2. Unlocked GSM.  No exclusive alliances with the telecoms in the US, this is the kiss of death.
3. Amazon needs to push out Android updates on their own. Don't rely on telecoms.
4. Integrate voice and button press access to both Alexa and Cortana. Let Cortana handle the business functions, setting appointments whatever.  Let Alexa do the entertaining and voice only stuff it does so well.  Let the owner decide which assistant they want to use.  I see the alliance with Cortana as a medium range shortcut to handle business functions like Google Now which frees the Alexa team to focus on home automation, cars and infotainment.
5. Make at least one model fast, powerful and good battery.  Good looking too.
6. Keep bloatware to minimum. But load it with Amz apps, free services. Make a deal with MS and preload their best apps, they have some good stuff.