Amazon's next major product--a 3D smartphone--is expected to be launched on June 18.
Speculations about the new product started after the company released a 50-second video teaser on YouTube.
The video, which is entitled "Find out what these Amazon customers are talking about," is cryptic--one could see the user, but not the device. Some of the video's customer feedback include "I've never seen anything like this," or "That's super awesome. I don't know how you guys do it." At the end of the video is date for a launch event, to be held in June 18 in Seattle.
The 3D phone remains unnamed, but it is believed that the Jeff Bezos company has been working on it for some time now.
It is believed that the company will use Omron's Okao Vision face-sensing technology, which will track the user's head, and enable 3D effects, delivered by four front-mounted IR cameras.
Ars Technica described this technology as having the four IR cameras tracking the user's head. "...Along with Omron's technology, will adjust the on-screen objects as the user's perspective changes. Amazon's phone will be able to grab X, Y, and Z coordinates of the user's face for developers to play with," it added.
Once released, the 3D phone--the company's first smartphone--will join Amazon's lineup of Kindle Fire gadgets like the Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire TV, and HDX. It is expected to also run on Fire OS.
3D devices are not new. There have been a number of 3D gadgets such as the 3D televisions and game consoles (like the Nintendo 3DS), but marketing them have proved quite difficult. This is why many critics are saying that this new product could be a challenge for the company, which is currently the world's largest online retailer.
Hopefully, answers will be provided June 18. Those who want to attend the launch event can request an invitation on the Amazon website.
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