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Amazon.com has released a statement saying that it “won’t launch a smartphone this year”, and that any smartphone “would not be free”.
The statement comes via a post written by Amir Efrati on Wall Street Journal reporter and editor Jessica Lessin’s WordPress blog. Efrati and Lessin had previously posted an article titled ‘Amazon wants to offer its smartphone for free – who will follow?’
The article claimed that the online retailer was “considering introducing its long-planned smartphone for free to consumers, according to people familiar with Amazon’s efforts”.
The statement is the first to be released from Amazon directly addressing rumours of a smartphone release this year. Efrati added that “the Amazon spokesman declined to elaborate on the statement, including about what types of discounts it could offer and what pricing arrangements it has considered in the past”.
Suggestions that Amazon may produce a smartphone have existed for years, with previous rumours claiming that the phone would target budget buyers by costing around £60 to £100.
