The smartphone market has its leaders (two thirds of all smartphones shipped in the US last quarter were made either by Apple or Samsung, according to the research firm IDC) and we all know them, so newcomers do face a challenge. But the world's online retailer giant Amazon is not afraid - after four years of research and development it has unveiled its long-awaited smartphone, the Fire Phone. According to the NYT, the device offers Amazon fans the chance to live in an Amazon-themed world, where just about every element can be identified, listed, ranked, shared and, of course, ordered. The timing is just perfect - in the United States, purchases made with phones are predicted to hike more than 25 percent this year to over $18 billion, according to eMarketer. At the moment, most mobile shopping is done on tablets. On Wednesday, in a warehouse like space packed with journalists, app developers and Amazon fans the company's founder and CEO Jeff Bezoa spent over an hour on stage discussing the new phone's unique features that are to give it an advantage over most other handsets . "The phone is gorgeous," said Jeff Bezos. "I can't wait for you to get your hands on it. Premium materials, rubberized frame. Gorilla Glass on both sides." And Gorilla Glass it was - it adorns the front and rear. But the phone looks like nothing unusual except for the five cameras on the front. Amazon however, praises its size; not too large, but not too small. Its 8.9mm thickness doesn't make it too bulky, and the back is narrower than the front making it easy to hold. One of Amazon's unique offerings is its 3D-like Dynamic Perspective feature. The phone is capable of displaying images in 3D, thanks to four specialized cameras on its front that track a person's head movement. The 3D imaging even works in the dark because the cameras can see infrared light. The cameras take on a Kinect-like role by looking at where a face is positioned, and how far it is away from the phone. This will also come in handy for games, Engadget review says. "The key is knowing where the user's head is at all time," Bezos said. "In real time. Many, many times a second." The Fire Phone has a 4.7-inch screen, which Bezos characterized as the perfect size for one-handed use, and has a 13 megapixel camera for taking pictures. But the major new feature making the phone truly unique is called Firefly - it is capable of scanning and recognizing merchandise like books, DVDs and other goods, as well as music and television shows. Similar to quick response code readers, it can read several types of information and give out relevant details about it. Amazon hopes that the feature will facilitate online purchases. The phone will also come equipped with Mayday, the company's customer service feature that lets people video chat with an Amazon tech support team. Acknowledging that people are increasingly using their phones to watch video, the Fire Phone will pre-buffer content an owner is likely to watch so he or she can start streaming it instantly. "It's an open ecosystem," Bezos said. "Netflix, HBO Go, ESPN, YouTube, Showtime." The software is Fire OS 3.5, which is an adjusted version of the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with plenty of different features and new user interface elements on top. Thus, pressing the home button will let a user switch back and forth between the app grid and the carousel. The carousel shows frequently (and recently) opened apps, and each app can list off some recent notifications. Apps can be put in whatever order desired, as well as add extra content like books, websites and other specific items, Zach Honig of Engadget said. The phone is now available for pre-order to be shipped July 25th with a two-year contract, a 32GB Fire Phone is $199, while a 64GB version is $299. According to Amazon's website, the phone costs between $649 and $749 without a contract. But for some time, Amazon's phone will only be available to AT&T customers. Every Fire Phone purchase automatically comes with an Amazon Prime membership, which gives users access to streaming music and videos and free two-day shipping on many items. New customers get one year free, while current members will get a year added onto their existing membership. While users welcome the new gadget some experts warn again the Fire's product recognition feature, Firefly, "It is potentially a real threat to bricks and mortar retailers," said Rebecca Lieb, an analyst with the Altimeter Group. "Scan a product or listen to music, and you're delivered straight to the page on Amazon on which you can purchase it. Impulse shopping just went to a new level."Source: The Voice Of Russia