{"id":14514,"date":"2014-06-18T17:35:08","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T00:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bensbargains.net\/thecheckout\/?p=14514"},"modified":"2015-11-07T16:15:07","modified_gmt":"2015-11-08T00:15:07","slug":"shut-take-money-amazon-fire-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/awesomeness\/shut-take-money-amazon-fire-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"Shut Up and Take My Money: Amazon Fire Phone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"shut_up_and_take_my_money\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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

The Amazon Fire Phone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

So far so good, right? Nothing special, who cares, right? WRONG!<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, Amazon Fire Phone is angling to change the way we view and hold our smartphones. How? This\u00a04.7-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?<\/p>\n

What’s that? That’s still not enough to sell you? Fair enough.<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/a>How about\u00a0a 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\u00a0Panorama, 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<\/del>. 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).<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/a>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<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

Not sure if you want or need Prime? No problem. Just check out our recent article: Is Amazon Prime Worth It?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to many built-in apps (and many more available via Amazon’s Appstore<\/a>), the Fire Phone includes a new Firefly app, which\u00a0uses the phone’s camera and microphones to scan and identify objects, entertainment content, \u00a0bar \/ QR codes — even phone numbers on posters advertising sweet futons! —\u00a0and then give you options to purchase those items or contact those people. Fun, right?<\/p>\n

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<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n

Amazon Fire Phone Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n