Amazon is expected to launch its first smartphone this year. The handset will likely feature Amazon’s custom version of Android and tight integration with Amazon’s app, book, music, and video stores. It could also have an unusual 3D user interface and support for tilt-based navigation.
But BGR reports the Amazon smartphone may have one other unusual feature: something called Prime Data.
BGR has been the source of most recent leaks about the upcoming phone, including the picture shown above. But the website’s sources couldn’t provide many solid details about Prime Data other than the likely name for Amazon’s new service.
The name does suggest that the company plans to offer mobile data perks to subscribers though — much as Amazon already lets Prime subscribers get free shipping on products as well as access to a streaming video library with thousands of movies and TV episodes.
It’s possible that Amazon could be partnering with AT&T to offer a “Sponsored Data” service that would let users stream a certain amount of music or video from Amazon’s cloud services without counting against their monthly data cap, for instance.
Or maybe Amazon will provide a limited amount of free data that customers can use for any service by subsidizing a portion of your phone bill as a way to encourage you to buy an Amazon phone and interact with Amazon’s digital content services (where the company would hope to make up any money it shells out to your wireless carrier on your behalf).
Or maybe Amazon Prime Datawill be something else altogether… or maybe it doesn’t really exist. Until Amazon officially launches its first smartphone, all we have to go on are leaks and rumors.
All I know if it’s an agreement with AT&T or any other carrier, it likely won’t be good for consumers but marketed as if it’s the best deal ever.
Amazon offered free unlimited global mobile data to users of its Kindle Keyboard 3G devices.
The browser and e-ink screen didn’t make the experience pleasant, but service was free.
Unfortunately, the service was abused, and Amazon was forced to scale back the service
to 200 MB/month, although my understanding is that this is still global. Something similar
could be offered as Prime Data.
“Unfortunately, the service was abused” How could we resist?!
Or maybe playing games like this with mobile data access is the purest BS and a middle finger to consumers as a whole.