Amazon said to be launching smartphone with 6 cameras soon

amazon phone

With Amazon set to unveil its set-top box next month, the e-commerce giant is approaching full-on Apple competitor. It has the tablets, and the ecosystem, all it needs is a smartphone. And according to a new report, that could be arriving soon as well.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a solid reputation for accurately predicting tech company product plans, says Amazon is preparing to launch its long-awaited handset within the next 3 months. And get this: apparently it’ll have 6 cameras…

BGR has Kuo’s research note to investors:

“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,” Kuo wrote on Thursday in a note to clients obtained by BGR. “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.”

And here’s the tidbit about the 6 cameras:

“The key feature of the smartphone, we believe, will be the six cameras,” Kuo wrote. “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.”

And finally, here are the specs according to Kuo:

“In terms of specs, Kuo says the Amazon phone will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, a 4.7-inch display with a pixel density of between 300 and 320 ppi, a plastic housing, a 13-megapixel main camera supplied by Sony, secondary cameras supplied by Primax, and a battery sized between 2,000 and 2,400 mAh.

As odd as this all sounds, BGR—who obtained photos and details of the second-gen Kindle Fire HD before it was announced—says that it has confirmed the information with its own sources. So between that and Kuo’s track record, it’s hard to write this off.

Amazon has long been rumored to be working on a smartphone, but such a device has never made it to market. Admittedly, it’s a very tough space to compete in, but Kuo believes that with its innovative features and extensive ecosystem, it has a fair chance.