“Even though there was a lot of hype around the Amazon Fire Phone, customers just aren’t buying it,” Chris Ciaccia reports for BGR.
“In a survey, R.W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian notes ‘muted demand’ among potential smartphone buyers, especially ahead of the next iPhone launch that is reported to take place in the middle of next month,” Ciaccia reports. “Of the 1,000 people who participated in the survey, only 5% of respondents said they would buy a Fire Phone, compared to 43.8% for an iPhone, 32.6% for Android phones (including Samsung, HTC, Nexus and others), 6.8% for a BlackBerry, and 5.3% for a Windows Phone.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Amazon’s Misfire Phone: Why the Fire Phone will fail – July 30, 2014
Wall Street’s patience with Amazon’s losses wears thin – July 29, 2014
The Wall Street Journal reviews Amazon Fire Phone: A gimmicky mess – July 25, 2014
Gizmodo reviews Amazon’s Fire Phone: Don’t buy it – July 23, 2014
Why you shouldn’t buy Amazon’s Fire Phone – June 22, 2014
Amazon Fire Phone could add 55% to users’ shopping bills – June 20, 2014
Amazon’s Misfire Phone: How Jeff Bezos failed – June 19, 2014
Amazon’s Fire Phone might be the biggest privacy invasion ever – June 19, 2014
Analyst: No impact to Apple iPhone from Amazon ‘Fire Phone’ – June 19, 2014
Amazon launches shopping machine masquerading as a phone – June 18, 2014
Amazon Fire Phone’s Firefly feature: Apple’s iPhone already has it – June 18, 2014
Amazon shows ‘Fire Phone’ with 4.7-inch 3-D display to court mobile shoppers – June 18, 2014
Analyst: Amazon smartphone no threat to Apple’s iPhone, but Android phone makers beware – June 17, 2014
Windows Phone down there, right next to them.
Seems after a few years and increasing app support, that number would go up for Microsoft. So is it Zun again?
Maybe I should get a Windows Phone tattoo.
phone has a nice feel. UI is terrible. multiple camera dots on the screen is creepy
Now, this is important to point out, “32.6% for Android phones (including Samsung, HTC, Nexus and others)” lacks loyalty. Own a Samsung now, get the cheapest Android phone next time. When you replace that one, the cheapest wins again. There is no money or reason to make Android phones with almost no profits. Apple’s eco-system and proprietary OS and now proprietary programing language, Swift, keeps customers coming back.
In the end, there will be only one. Apple!
There will always be a demand for cheap knockoffs. But you’ve provided a wonderful snapshot of biznizz in the shallow end of the market.
It won’t matter to Amazon. They don’t count devices sold in the quarterly reports.
They don’t care about a single SKU, only about ecosystem.
True, because they are not responsible for inventory on most items (they have generous return agreements with suppliers). However, this is a made for Amazon product so returning slow selling items will not be possible. And you’d assume they have put some development money upfront. Oh well, you may see these at the Dollar Store soon.
I believe most of what Amazon sells is sold on the Agency Basis. Except, apparently, for publishers’ ebooks! Hey DOJ — did you happen to notice that? Too funny.
Well, an iPhone is a hand held computer that also can be used to make phone calls.
Most Android handsets are phones which can also be used to post selfies on facebook.
But the Misfire is a phone which can also be used to order stuff from Amazon. The least compelling reason to select a phone.
Anyone who would likely buy a misfire phone would probably be the least likely regularly shop for times on Amazon. Seems like they are aim for the wrong demographic.
Huh? If 5% of smartphone consumers buy an Amazon Phone (making it very similar to the Windows Phone and Blackberry) that would make it a success. Not a rousing success, but a success. Please know that A) the product just launched and B) there is only one SKU on the market (to Apple’s 3 and to dozens by Samsung and even several by Windows for comparison). For example, a $300 Fire Phone with a 5.3′ screen (making it similar to the Moto X, Sony XPeria and the other mid-range Android phones that are very popular and responsible for LG, HTC, Lenovo, Acer and Xiaomi being profitable in the smartphone sector this year) would generate a lot more interest than a $700 device with a too-small (by Android standards) screen.
Honestly, no one expected the Fire Phone to compete with the iPhone. It really only needs about 7%-10% market share to succeed, especially since its primary purpose is to get people to buy things from Amazon.com. Basically, if it sells about as much as the Kindle did during its peak (when at no point did it threaten the iPad) it will be considered a success by Amazon.
Well, I guess if you want to lower the bar so far that an ant could hop over it, anything could be a success. But I figured Amazon had more ambition than that. You generally don’t spend that much on advertising for 5%.
——RM
Ummm … wrong.
1. Amazon IS NOT an electronics hardware company. They are not Apple, Dell, HP or Samsung. THey are an online retailer and cloud services company. Everything else that they do is a “hobby” meant to drive their main business (like the Apple TV).
2. Even among electronics hardware companies, not everyone is going to be Apple or HP. There are going to be smaller players. So this is not about “lowering the bar.” This is about Apple partisans insisting on calling every tech company but Apple (and companies that partner with Apple rather than compete with them) a failure. Remember: Amazon owns their own app store! So really, all they need to do is sell as many phones as HTC, LG etc. and their profits will be fine.
HTC, LG, and all the other makers of cellular smartphones, feature phones, and dumb phones, other than Samsung, are either losing money or just breaking even, Atlman. So how can you claim that a new entrant to the market with the attendant start-up costs profits will be “just fine?” As an economist, I think you are blowing stinky smoke out of your nether regions.
In the last quarter, Amazon posted a $150,000,000 loss. Where are the profits, Atlman?
As for Apple and its hobby AppleTV: Apple has been posting profits from its “hobby” for the last seven years, selling more 13 million of them in 2013 worth more than $1 Billion representing about $400 million in profit. Hardly a “hobby.”
In case you missed it, Blackberry and Windows phone are not successes. They are less than “others” combined. No money there.
(Even “Android” appearing successful by units sold is making profits for only one vendor, Samsung, and those are drying up.)
I admire your attempt to offer perspective, but trying to reason with some of the people on here is as futile as arguing with Justin Bieber fans…
Bezos must be disappointed that buying marketshare with loss leader gear isn’t working for him any more.
Bubble deflating sssssssssss
Who was the marketing genius that thought a nine-year-old channeling Jackie Mason was a good idea to sell a phone?
Gosh, and those commercials are just so compelling! You know, the ones with the two annoying kids?
And those mind-blowing features! You can take a picture of a TV screen, and it will tell you what movie is playing! Wow! Just think! Before, you had to call up your TV Guide app, or push the little button on the remote that tells you what’s playing, or… y’know… ask somebody. But now that problem is solved by amazing Amazon technology!!
——RM
Just looked at the phone on amazon. Has 3.2 star rating and under 500 ratings. Don’t think it’ll last long. Some of these companies need to realize that just because smartphones are popular not every company needs to build there own.
Blah blah blah.
According to Apple fans, Apple is the only company that should make smartphones. And tablets. And PCs. And music players. And set top boxes. And wearables. And smart home devices. And smart health devices. And … yawn. Seriously, it really gets old.
How old are you, Atlman? You come across as someone in middle school. Your criticism panel seems to have only two settings. . . boring . . . and ignorant.
Amazon phone = Facebook phone = Fail
LMAO MISFIRE PHONE!
Halt And Catch Fire Phone.