Amazon’s biggest fail: the Fire Phone | Version History

In 2014, the tech world was abuzz with the prospect of a phone made by Amazon. When the Fire Phone arrived, it was chock full of ideas — a "dynamic perspective" feature that created 3D illusions, an image-recognition feature called "Firefly," and many, many opportunities to buy Amazon products. Allison Johnson and Sean O’Kane join David Pierce to discuss why, unlike Amazon's successful e-readers, this device was a gigantic flop. #VersionHistory #Podcast #Technology

0:00 The Smartphone Landscape in 2010
00:30 Introducing the Fire Phone
01:31 The Verge Team Reminisces
03:57 Amazon's Hardware Journey
06:28 The Fire Phone's Features and Failures
31:43 The Launch Event
40:10 Initial Impressions and Teardown
40:36 Design and Build Quality
42:07 Camera and Features
44:22 Software and User Experience
47:07 Review Clips and Critiques
56:26 Market Performance and Pricing
59:42 Legacy and Lessons Learned
01:03:26 Version History Question Round

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Post from The Verge on November 09, 2025

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