Skip to main content

Amazon will announce 'amazing' new device on June 18th

Amazon will announce 'amazing' new device on June 18th

/

Is this finally Amazon's 3D smartphone?

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Amazon will launch a new product later this month, and it's promising that it'll be something pretty exciting. Company CEO Jeff Bezos will unveil the new product at an event in Seattle on June 18th, and Amazon has begun teasing the new product with a video of people's reactions to using it — though without showing the device itself. Naturally, they all seem pretty amazed by it. But even though we can't see the device, the people's reactions and movements tell a bit about the new product, seeming to suggest that it includes some sort of 3D experience. "It moved with me," one person says.

"That's pretty damn intuitive."

It's long been reported that Amazon is developing a smartphone with a 3D display, and this video seems to suggest that the moment for its unveiling could finally be upon us; furthermore, Bloomberg News reports that Amazon will indeed reveal the phone this month. It would be Amazon's first shot at a smartphone, and with how much success it's seen in the tablet market, it's an entrant that existing phone makers will want to take seriously. Prior Amazon devices have been all about Amazon's own app store and ecosystem of products though, and that can be a bit of a turn off. It'll need something impressive to win people over who already have experience with phones from Apple, Samsung, and others, and it seems that Amazon intends to rely on these reported 3D features to be what catches their attention.

Supposedly, the phone has a 3D interface that moves with its user as they tilt their head around. The phone can reportedly be controlled by tilting it — tilting it in one direction, for instance, might make more information about something that you're looking at appear on screen. Whether that'll be easy to use is a big question, and Amazon will have to prove that it won't be a hurdle for new customers. It's clearly aware of that though and has already taken its first strike against such negative perceptions in its video. "That's pretty damn intuitive," one person says.

Amazon is also teasing the event with an image showing a corner of the new device (seen below). It certainly appears small, and it bears a resemblance to images of Amazon's supposed smartphone that leaked earlier this year. Previous reports stated that Amazon would announce its phone by the end of June and begin shipping them in September.

Unveiling-device-v2

Amazon really wants its customers to see whatever device it's launching too. Anyone who wants to attend the launch event can request an invitation — though Amazon warns that space is limited. These events are usually limited to members of the press or industry, so Amazon seems to be interested in generating some real buzz and getting a diverse group of impressions out there about the product.

In soliciting attendees from the general public, Amazon also puts out a specific call to developers and inquires if they have any experience with creating "innovative" apps using "gyroscopes, accelerometers," and other sensors. It also asks whether they're interested in taking advantage of a "novel" sensor — making it pretty clear that Amazon has something out of the ordinary to show just two weeks from now.

Update: This article has been updated to include a report from Bloomberg News.