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Amazon has managed to keep a reasonably tight lid on its upcoming mystery gadget, but all signs point to a smartphone . Not surprisingly, the rumor mill has been pumping out potential specs and mock-ups for months. We’ll know for sure what’s up on June 18 when Amazon hosts a group of developers, customers, and journalists for an unveiling event.
Let’s assume everyone is right and the gadget is a smartphone. The biggest intrigue around the device is that it will have 3D effects using an eye-tracking camera to render icons, wallpapers, and maps that appear to pop out from the screen. Whether this would be useful, or merely a novelty, remains to be seen.
Images that purport to be the new phone have leaked out, showing quite a herd of cameras all over the gadget. Reports call for it to have a 13-megapixel main rear-facing camera. The phone would likely run on a modified version of Android, perhaps something not too unlike the Kindle Fire system.
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Specs are fun to ponder, but one number people really want to know about is the price. Rumors also hint that Amazon will reveal a higher-end smartphone and follow it up later with less-expensive versions. If the 3D tech holds true, it might not be a supercheap device, which could disappoint people who are hoping to have an affordable new smartphone with some unusual 3D features. The budget crowd might have to wait for later versions.
June 18 is fast approaching, but that still gives us time to speculate wildly, enter our names in the lottery to attend the press event, and ponder what we would like to see in an Amazon-branded smartphone. Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments. We’ll try not to be too disappointed if Amazon says “Psych! It’s just another Kindle.”
