Amazon smartphone reportedly leaked ahead of official announcement

It’s been known for some time that Amazon is working on a smartphone, and if these new images are to be believed the handset has leaked ahead of an official reveal from the company itself.

BGR says it acquired the images from “multiple trusted sources”, who confirmed many of the handset’s specifications ahead of an expected launch “in the coming months”. The images show a handset surrounded by a protective casing, designed to prevent leaks such as this one from completely spoiling the surprise – so if they are accurate at least Amazon has something to reveal come launch day.

Previous rumours had suggested the handset would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM, behind a 4.7in, 720p resolution display. With little to indicate scale it’s tough to know what the screen size is, but the more important question is what the four camera sensors built into the four corners of the front of the phone will be used for.

According to BGR, these will be used to track the user’s face and create a 3D effect, without the need for a parallax barrier like the Nintendo 3DS or 3D glasses. Apparently there are lots of UI elements that will adjust in real time based on where the user is looking and the distance between their face and the handset, including perspective shifting wallpapers, maps that react to tilting the phone and even Amazon’s digital marketplace, where customers would be able to see products in 3D before buying them.

There will also be a 13-megapixel camera on the rear of the handset, for taking photos and capturing video, and a front-facing webcam for video chat.

According to BGR, the images seen here are of the first of two handsets Amazon will be launching this year, with the second being a more entry-level device with low-end specifications and a “competitive retail price”.

Of course, we’ve been hearing rumours of an Amazon smartphone for over a year, but these images seem to suggest the company is edging closer to an actual launch. With no official word from Amazon on the legitimacy of the images, we’ll just have to wait until the company decides to make an official announcement. Unfortunately us Brits may be in for a longer wait than America; BGR says it source believes the phone will only launch in the US at first, much like Amazon’s recently-announced FireTV.