The reviews are in: Amazon's iPhone-competing Fire Phone fails to impress critics
Back in June, Amazon unveiled the “Fire Phone,” an iPhone-competing product featuring a 3-D user interface (UI) and impressive specs. Now, however, the first reviews for the product are in, and unfortunately for Amazon it seems the Fire Phone has failed to impress critics.
Engadget and Re/code both concluded that the first-generation Fire Phone just isn’t good enough, with the former publication’s review noting:
By no means is the Fire a horrible phone, but it’s a forgettable one. You might want the eventual Fire Phone 2, perhaps, but for now, you’re better off sticking with what you know.
Business Insider, on the other hand, drew attention to the device’s limited support for the latest mobile apps (“This is a phone for folks who only want to live in Amazon’s world and don’t need access to the latest and greatest apps and services rival devices offer”), while The Verge awarded the device an unimpressive 5.9 out of 10.
Perhaps a second-generation Fire Phone might attract more customers, Yahoo! Tech noted, but the 1.0 iteration isn’t the smartphone to buy. The publication explained:
For anyone more experienced, the Fire phone is a phone to watch, not to buy. If we know one thing about Amazon, it’s that it always underbakes its 1.0 devices — but that it’s a deep-pocketed, deeply driven company that’s determined to be a contender.
Yahoo! Tech did add that the Fire Phone might be “a good first smartphone for a non-techie,” however.
The bottom line, then, is that Amazon’s iPhone-competing Fire Phone doesn’t pose much of a challenge for Cupertino’s device. And is it any surprise? Apple’s iPhone has been on the market for seven long years, and the company has refined the device greatly over this time.
Plus, with a so-called “iPhone 6” expected to launch in fall, consumers are going to have another reason to choose the Apple brand when it comes to picking their next-generation smartphone. We’ll keep you updated with further information as we receive it.
In the meantime, see: Yahoo Weather updated with twice daily customizable notifications, Canabalt goes 2.0 with 8 new game modes, local multiplayer support and more, and Apple explains iOS diagnostic capabilities in response to backdoor access allegations.
Via: 9to5mac
