Amazon’s Kindle Phone Will Come with Six Cameras

Project Aria, as Amazon’s Kindle phone is called, according to the recent reports of several blogs, will feature six cameras that will take gesture control to a whole new level.

Even though the name of the phone is terribly uninspired, as it makes people think of Google’s Project Ara modular phone, Amazon’s smartphone may actually be different from the products of this giant e-tailer’s competitors.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the world, has recently made a prediction regarding the Kindle phone in a note that ended in BGR‘s possession: “We predict Amazon (US) will launch its own brand smartphone in 3-6 months, using the same hardware strategy as used for its e-reader and tablet. The supply chain will start stocking up materials in 2Q14 for production. We estimate required components will amount to 700k-1.2mn units, and assembly to 300-600k units. Related suppliers will start to see benefits in 2Q14.”

Kuo also pointed out what the major selling point of the Kindle smartphone will be, respectively the six cameras: “The key feature of the smartphone, we believe, will be the six cameras. Aside from the main camera, which is used to take pictures, and the sub camera, used for video conferencing (these are both found in all smartphones), we think the other four cameras will be used for gesture control, allowing users to operate the smartphone without touching the touch panel.”

The analyst is aware that to further differentiate itself from its competitors, Amazon will have to rely on its services, rather than on the smartphone itself, really a strategy that the e-tailer has already applied on the other Kindle products: “Given the highly competitive smartphone market, Amazon will have to provide users with a unique experience to differentiate its phone from other brands. It would do this by integrating the smartphone with its own services such as e-commerce. If Amazon’s smartphone is a hit, we would expect shipments to grow significantly due to the hardware features and business model. At the current stage, when market acceptance is unclear, we preliminarily forecast shipments of 300-600k units in 2Q14 and 2-3mn units in 2014.”

Hopefully, Kuo’s predictions are right and we’ll get to see Amazon’s smartphone sometime in the near future. Judging by the products that this company has already launched, there is no doubt that the Kindle phone will be different. Exactly how remains to be seen.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone and the Project Tango smartphone that is aware of space and motion.