Amazon's smartphone event: Join us Wednesday (live blog)
Join CNET for coverage from Amazon's event, which starts at 10:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday. Our live blog will kick off about an hour beforehand and will bring you news updates, photos, and commentary.
- SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
It's the worst-kept secret in Seattle: Amazon is getting into the smartphone business.
The online retailing giant hasn't officially confirmed it, but it is widely expected to unveil its first smartphone at a company-hosted event on Wednesday. A smartphone would expand its product line from its current trio of e-readers, tablets, and a streaming TV box, all carrying the Kindle brand.
CNET editor Jessica Dolcourt, photographer James Martin, and I will be bringing you all the details, photos, and commentary from the event. The event kicks off at 10:30 a.m. PT, or 1:30 p.m. ET (calculate your local start time here).
Join CNET's live blog of Amazon's smartphone event
Amazon has been rumored to have been building a smartphone, which makes sense after the debut of its Kindle Fire line of tablets. The smartphone is expected to feature a 3D-imaging gimmick, and Amazon itself may introduce its own wireless plan to pair with the device.
So far, Amazon has only offered CEO Jeff Bezos' favorite childhood book, which was part of the invitation for the event, as a cryptic tease. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the company's plans, that Amazon's smartphone would be exclusive to AT&T.
Unlike other companies, Amazon doesn't sell hardware to make money. Rather, it sees its Kindle line of products as a way to encourage customers to sign up for its Prime service, and ultimately, buy more products from its site. As personal and critical as a smartphone is, Amazon may see it as the ultimate way to tie consumers to its services.
As usual, we'll be using ScribbleLive to bring you live text and photos, blow by blow. We'll start the live blog 30 minutes before Amazon officially kicks off its event.
Editors' note: This post originally appeared June 16 at 9:59 a.m. PT. It has been updated to note the report that AT&T would be the exclusive provider of Amazon's smartphone.