Amazon CEO Unveils Smartphone to Take on Apple, Samsung
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Amazon.com Inc. jumped into the smartphone market with a handset called Fire Phone that is closely tied to the Web retailer’s other services, ramping up competition with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said at an event in Seattle today that Fire Phone, which is black with a rubber frame and 4.7-inch display, will give consumers direct access to other devices and services from the company. The handset features 3-D viewing and image-recognition technology to make it simpler for users to buy items from Amazon’s Web store. The phone will start at $199.99 and be available on July 25, with AT&T Inc. as the wireless carrier, the company said.