New York — Amazon’s first smartphone will work exclusively on the AT&T network, reprising AT&T’s role in the launch of the first iPhone, The Wall Street Journal reported.
AT&T, which also provides wireless service for Amazon’s tablets and e-readers, was the exclusive carrier for the iPhone for three years when the device was launched in 2007.
Amazon’s distribution plans for its phone were not available.
The phone is expected to be unveiled Wednesday in Seattle and ship in September with a screen reportedly capable of displaying glasses-free 3D images, thanks to retina-tracking technology in four front-facing cameras, the Journal previously reported. The technology would also sense eye movement and the movement of the screen closer and farther from a user’s face, enabling the phone to automatically zoom as it moves closer to someone’s face. The phone is also said to be optimized for provide depth for games.
Amazon has plunged deeper into the device business following it e-reader launch years ago, moving into the tablet market and most recently into the TV set-top box business with its Fire TV The company also plans to offer a wand customers that consumers can use to scan barcodes at home to re-order products without logging into computers.
