Just when I thought it was safe to wait for the next gen iPhone, Amazon pulled the rug out from all of us today announced the worst-kept secret in all of techdom:

The Amazon Fire Phone.

First, the basics. The Fire Phone, much like its Kindle and TV cousins, runs off an Android-based operating system. The current version is OS 3.5.0. The phone’s processor is a peppy quad-core 2.2GHz processor with a decent 2GB of RAM. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are a given. As are 3G and 4G LTE cellular data network capabilities. By the way, the Fire Phone is AT&T exclusive, so that could be a hang-up depending on the coverage in your area.

So far so good, right? Nothing special, who cares, right? WRONG!

First, Amazon Fire Phone is angling to change the way we view and hold our smartphones. How? This 4.7-inch HD display (at 1280×720 with 315ppi) may not be the biggest, nor have the most pixels, but it does feature Dynamic Perspective technology, a “custom-designed sensor system that responds to how you hold, view, and move your phone.” Basically, it’s a glasses-free 3D display which adapts to head and phone movements. Pretty cool, right?

What’s that? That’s still not enough to sell you? Fair enough.

How about a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.), a super-bright f/2.0 aperture lens, and Full 1080p HD video at 30 fps? Or Panorama, Burst Capture, Lenticular, and Intelligent HDR modes? What, you want more? Fine. How about FREE unlimited cloud backup of all your photos, at full resolution, via Amazon Cloud Storage. Yup, every single selfie and groupie and foodie and potential masterpiece can be automatically backed up to the cloud where it’ll be safe forever after the NSA is done using its facial recognition software on you. Apple offers a similar service, but charges after 5GB, which fills up pretty fast when you’re taking full resolution shots. The only downside here is that videos do not include “unlimited” storage for free. Over a certain data size, that will cost extra. Still, this is revolutionary* (* for camera phones).

Next, it’s no surprise that the Fire Phone is designed to work in the entire Amazon ecosystem. That is, it’s designed to make it insanely easy to purchase, consume, and subscribe to all types of media. Meaning, if you have a Fire Phone, you’re going to want Amazon Prime. Fortunately, for a limited time, if you purchase a Fire Phone, you get 12-months of the service which, in addition to free two-day shipping, gives users access to Amazon Prime Instant Video (tons of free TV shows and movies, PLUS movies and TV shows to rent and purchase), Amazon Music (brand-new), and the Amazon Prime Kindle Lending Library.

Not sure if you want or need Prime? No problem. Just check out our recent article: Is Amazon Prime Worth It?

Now, have you ever been sitting at home and thought to yourself, “dang, I like to buy stuff, but hate to type?” Or, “dang, what’s that song on the radio?” Or, “dang, there’s a flyer for a room to rent, or a pretty sweet used futon, but man oh man I do not want to take the time to punch the number keys of my phone?” Admit it, we’ve all been there.

In addition to many built-in apps (and many more available via Amazon’s Appstore), the Fire Phone includes a new Firefly app, which uses the phone’s camera and microphones to scan and identify objects, entertainment content,  bar / QR codes — even phone numbers on posters advertising sweet futons! — and then give you options to purchase those items or contact those people. Fun, right?

Finally, you’re on Ben’s Bargains because you like a good deal, but I’m sure there are a few of you out there who are nervous about all this new technology. You’d say, “Ben, what happens if it breaks? I hate calling customer support and being on hold. And the only thing more hellacious than having to call some other country to get help… is to actually go to the mall for help.” Again, Amazon’s got you covered with Mayday, a free 24/7/365 Help Me app that promises help for every customer within 15 seconds. We don’t know how well Mayday will work on the Fire Phone, but if it’s anything like Amazon’s normal customer service, we’re hopeful.

Amazon Fire Phone Features

• Fire OS 3.5.0
• Quad-core 2.2 GHz processor (Adreno 330 GPU)
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB-64GB internal storage
• 4.7-inch HD display with Dynamic Perspective (3D)
  • 1280×720
  • 315ppi
  • 590 nits brightness
  • dynamic image contrast
  • circular polarizer
• 13MP rear-facing camera
  • f/2.0 lens
  • O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization)
  • Full 1080p HD Video @ 30fps
  • FREE unlimited photo storage on Amazon Cloud Drive with (optional) automatic backup
  • Panorama
  • Lenticular
  • Burst Capture
  • Intelligent HDR
• Dual Stereo Speakers & Dolby Digital Plus surround sound processing
• Music apps, including:
  • Amazon Prime Music, Sirius XM, Spotify, iHeart Radio, & Pandora
• Video apps, including:
  • Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, HBO Go, ESPN Sports Center, YouTube, & Showtime Anytime
• Amazon Kindle & Kindle Newsstand
• Mayday
  • Help app FREE 24/7/365 Help in 15 seconds or less
• Firefly
• Wi-Fi & 3G & 4G LTE & Bluetooth
• Battery Life
  • 22 hours talk time
  • 285 hours standby
  • 11 hours video playback
  • 65 hours audio playback

What’s in the Box?

• (1) Amazon Fire Phone
• (1) USB Charging Cable & Power Adapter
• (1) pair of Premium Headphones with Remote & Mic
• (1) Quick Start Guide

Optional Accessories?

Not many yet. I’m sure there will be tons in the not-too-distant future, but for now you can get some protective colors in either leather (black or cayenne) or polyurethane (black, cayenne, citron, blue, or royal).

How Do I Get One?

The Amazon Fire Phone is an AT&T exclusive. No word on AT&T stores just yet, but pre-orders are being taken online right now at Amazon. And you will be able to order the 32GB version via AT&T Next.

BUY NOW: 32GB Fire Phone via Amazon
[$199 with a two-year contract, $649 without a service plan or $27/month via AT&T Next.]

BUY NOW: 62GB Fire Phone via Amazon
[$299 with a two-year contract or $749 without a service plan.]

And don’t forget… For a limited time, buy any Amazon Fire Phone, and you’ll get 12 months of FREE Amazon Prime. Yup, even if you’re already an existing Prime subscriber!

Shut Up and Take My Money: Amazon Fire Phone

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said the Whedon brothers and sister-and-law/wife when they were planning Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  It seems that the crew of the Serenity has an awful lot in common with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team aboard the Bus. Not that we’re complaining! As devote Whedonites, we welcome more-of-the-same… and besides, there’s enough variation to make the new show new – not the least of which is the freakin’ Marvel Universe! We’re just saying… you know… there are more than a few similarities.

WARNING:  SPOILERS AHEAD

[Not so much for Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., because it’s still pretty young and there’s not much to spoil, but yes very much so for Firefly and the film Serenity… But honestly, why haven’t you watched Firefly and the movie final chapter Serenity yet? Seriously. This can’t be the first time you’ve heard how amazing they are. Quit stalling and do it right now… literally!  They’re streaming on Amazon!

Firefly on Amazon Instant Video / Serenity on Amazon Instant Video

And while you’re at it, check out Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and make your own comparisons.

Watch Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Amazon Instant Video

Can you tell the difference?

The Whedon Formula:

1. The Right-Hand Woman

She’s tough, she’s capable, and she’s always there to help out the leader when he needs her. (You might even call her the “Cavalry.”) She’s Melinda May… but she’s also Zoë Washburne. Behind every great man is a great woman, and that’s somewhat of a law in a Whedon story. It seems that these bad-ass beauties are sometimes even more capable than the men they follow – how many times has Zoë saved Mal’s ass and has Coulson ever flip-kicked anyone? Nope.  But the Right-Hand Woman’s relationship with her leading man is strictly professional, and we like how neither took the predicable romance route and instead looked elsewhere for their love interests (though they didn’t look too far).

2. The Love Story Between the Doctor and the Mechanic

Grease and gears. Blood and bones. It’s all about knowing how they fit together, and that’s why doctors and mechanics understand each other. To be fair, Fitz and Simmons are an engineer and a biochemist (respectively, as the point is to get them confused), but come on… potato, potahto. While one’s working on the ship’s engine or a new gadget, the other is curing a gun wound or an alien disease. The point is they all have extensive knowledge beyond a normal person’s… and yet they can’t fully understand this emotion known as “love.”

3. The Reavers and the Centipede Projects

An unstable science project unleashed numerous overly-aggressive soldiers that our heroes have to fight? Oh, the folly of man… Did the Clairvoyant learn nothing from what happened at Miranda? (Or vice-versa? Choose your own chronology.)

4. The Resident Bad-Ass

Here we have the most diversity in the personality, as Ward is almost nothing like Jayne. In fact, the only thing that they do have in common is they’re both bad-asses. The bigger (and more fun) question is… Who would win in a fight?

5. The Wild Card

She wasn’t supposed to be on the ship/plane, but now that she is, no one knows what to expect! She’s the Wild Card, and her mysterious past is one of the strongest driving forces of the series! Whether she’s hacking computers or shooting bad guys with her eyes closed, one thing is clearly evident… there’s something a little different about this girl.

6. The Fearless Leader

At times he’s stoic, while at others he’s quick with a joke. He’s got a thick skin, but also a tenderness towards the people following him. He’s a sentimentalist who dreams of simpler times long past. Yet one thing about him never changes… he’s the one in charge! Malcolm and Coulson, the top dogs, the ones that call the shots. Their personalities are fairly similar, but their ideologies are vastly different! After all, one is a lawless libertarian and the other is a by-the-books bureaucrat!  So we leave it to you, fellow Whedonite, to answer our final question:

If Malcolm and Coulson met at a bar, would they get along? 

6.5 – What about Inara?  We guess she most closely resembles… the Cellist.

The Whedon Formula: Why the Characters of Firefly and Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Would Get Along a Little TOO Well