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Amazon to launch Smartphone
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Gormond
19-06-2014
Originally Posted by jonmorris:
“The Moto G has a surprisingly good screen for the money. Not necessarily the best viewing angles, but it's pretty bright.

So far, every phone that has boasted about brilliant outdoor viewing has generally failed when it's very bright outdoors.

Some models, like those with AM-OLED displays, may have a mode to ramp up the brightness but with huge battery drain as a result. Some Samsung and Nokia phones have this, and LG has of course sold phones before that were sold on nits. I forget the name, but it was about the time of the first 3D-screened LG.

Thing is, annoying as it is to have times where you'll struggle to see the screen clearly (but the UI can help with high contrast screens and black on white, rather than the other way around where applicable) I am not sure many people will make their buying decision on that.

They'll be perfectly happy with a far lower brightness when sat on the sofa, on a train/bus or at work.”

AMOLED screens are terrible outdoors in comparison to IPS LCD, anyway my point was that you cannot compare a screen on just pixel density, there is alot more to it.

Yeah other phones have used 3D but it has always been parallax barrier which is an awful way to view 3D IMO as there are a limited number of viewing angles and it reduces the brightness of the screen.

Atleast Amazon are trying different things, all other phones this year have been really boring IMO.

I personally wouldn't buy one as I think £500+ for any phone is crazy but if they bring a second edition closer to £300 I would be interested.
jonmorris
19-06-2014
Yes, they are trying different things - but it's not AS different as the company has made out. But of course that's what marketing is about.

AMOLED is awful, but if you ramp up the brightness to the max then you can get a screen that is more visible than most LCD displays. But you can't generally do that, as it kills the battery, so you might only have it when using the camera.

I am yet to use any phone or tablet that works well on a very bright day with lots of glare. Nor do I really think I want a phone to be on 100% brightness for long anyway, so the real solution is to move into the shade or create your own shade.

The Fire Phone, like the tablets, are not going to be anywhere near as good as a proper Kindle if people want to read books at the beach. Amazon knows this (heck, it says so when you try and buy a Kindle) but seems to also be hoping that consumers will assume they're not going to be that much different.
clonmult
19-06-2014
Originally Posted by Gormond:
“AMOLED screens are terrible outdoors in comparison to IPS LCD, anyway my point was that you cannot compare a screen on just pixel density, there is alot more to it.

Yeah other phones have used 3D but it has always been parallax barrier which is an awful way to view 3D IMO as there are a limited number of viewing angles and it reduces the brightness of the screen.

Atleast Amazon are trying different things, all other phones this year have been really boring IMO.

I personally wouldn't buy one as I think £500+ for any phone is crazy but if they bring a second edition closer to £300 I would be interested.”

That first statement is incorrect, although I agree that there is way more to it than pixel density.

My iPhone 4S has an IPS LCD screen. My Nokia 1020 & 808 have an AMOLED displays. 808 by far and away the best outdoors, the 1020 is pretty good outdoors and the 4S is a washed out waste of time outdoors.

I wouldn't mind Amazon trying "something different" if it offered a benefit to the buyers. In this case, the benefit is virtually non-existent.
jonmorris
19-06-2014
I did an outdoor screen test. Originally it was to test the speakers, but very quickly I realised it would be about the displays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrIe8P5aZtg

HTC M8, Xperia Z2, Galaxy S5 (AMOLED) - all terrible.

My Lumia 1020 in daylight/sun mode (or whatever it's called) is actually very readable. I think it also has a polarised screen though, so doesn't get anywhere near as much glare.
TelevisionUser
19-06-2014
Not only is it more meh than any new innovation, this phone comes from an unethical company that avoids tax and that treats its own British workers like dirt. Therefore, they can flock off as far as l'm concerned.
alan1302
19-06-2014
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“Not only is it more meh than any new innovation, this phone comes from an unethical company that avoids tax and that treats its own British workers like dirt. Therefore, they can flock off as far as l'm concerned.”

How is that any different from other makers?
TelevisionUser
19-06-2014
Originally Posted by alan1302:
“How is that any different from other makers?”

Do other mobile phone providers and networks treat their UK workers like this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03k5kzp

No! Not only that, this phone is highly likely to have a customised UI that will pester/direct the phone owner to only use Amazon options to the detriment of freedom of choice.
clonmult
20-06-2014
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“Not only is it more meh than any new innovation, this phone comes from an unethical company that avoids tax and that treats its own British workers like dirt. Therefore, they can flock off as far as l'm concerned.”

Tax avoidance by using the system put in place by the government isn't illegal. And to be honest, with the way the government wastes a huge percentage of the tax that they receive, I'd do the same if possible.

The Fire is a very "meh" device, it offers nothing usefully new. And as it is currently only targeted at US AT&T users, its not exactly a UK ready device (yet).
alan1302
20-06-2014
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“Do other mobile phone providers and networks treat their UK workers like this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03k5kzp

No! Not only that, this phone is highly likely to have a customised UI that will pester/direct the phone owner to only use Amazon options to the detriment of freedom of choice.”

I'm assuming you have looked into how other companies sometimes 'look after' there workers...or do they not count as they are not working in the UK?
jonmorris
20-06-2014
There are lots of bad things done by the likes of Tesco, Amazon etc.. but we all accept it because we demand cheaper goods.

Most people are hypocrites because they'd moan about profiteering if companies upped charges to pay for better conditions or higher salaries, and few seem willing to vote with their wallets and boycott the firms.

If people felt strongly, NOT buying from them would change things. No amount of ranting on Facebook and Twitter, or filling in e-petitions etc (all basically easy things to do without doing anything hard or complicated) can substitute the only protest that will work.

BTW, I'm talking generally here - not about any actual member on here!
AlecR
20-06-2014
Originally Posted by TelevisionUser:
“Do other mobile phone providers and networks treat their UK workers like this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03k5kzp

No! Not only that, this phone is highly likely to have a customised UI that will pester/direct the phone owner to only use Amazon options to the detriment of freedom of choice.”

Oh please.

If you could increase your profits by taking advantage of a LEGAL loophole, wouldn't you do so?

You can't blame the companies for doing this; blame the Government.

People aren't forced to work at Amazon. If they don't like it, they can go elsewhere.
TelevisionUser
21-06-2014
Off contract, Fire costs $649.99 (about £382, AU$691) and $749.99 (about £441, AU$798), respectively.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-...rumors-1085821

In other words, this mediocre phone is over-priced - better deals are to be had elsewhere and without a locked-in "Love your Amazon" OS.

Oh, and to the Amazon fans immediately above, here's a picture of the next Bond film villain: http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyM...8d8/bezos1.jpg
wavejockglw
22-06-2014
It is being reported in the Mobile Trade press that:

"Amazon is believed to be in talks with rivals O2 and Vodafone on the introduction of its new Fire smartphone to the UK market. While the handset device was initially announced as a US exclusive launch, rumours are now circulating that the new device will be introduced to the UK market shortly.

[...]

Amazon already partners with Vodafone to provide the data plans accompanying the Internet retailing giant’s Kindle devices.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/news/in...e-launch-.aspx
Thine Wonk
22-06-2014
Originally Posted by wavejockglw:
“I
Amazon already partners with Vodafone to provide the data plans accompanying the Internet retailing giant’s Kindle devices.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/news/in...e-launch-.aspx”

Well that should be enough to download 10 e-books a month then
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