Amazon slashes Fire Phone price to 99 cents on contract

Shawn Knight

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Amazon on Monday dropped the price of its recently released Fire Phone down to just $0.99. It’s a familiar narrative that likely indicates what we’ve been hearing all along – Amazon has had a hard time selling their inaugural handset.

The online retail giant announced its first smartphone in mid-June. The 4.7-inch handset came packed with mid-range hardware but it was the 3D element that most were excited about. By implementing multiple front-facing cameras, the Fire Phone is able to create what Amazon calls “dynamic perspective” where on-screen objects take on a 3D effect.

To be specific, Amazon dropped the price of the handset down to just $0.99 with a two-year contract. Those interested in purchasing the phone without a commitment will also enjoy a discount. The 32GB model has been slashed to $449 from $649 while the $749 64GB unit can now be had for $549.

Last month, The Guardian published a story in which they estimated that Amazon had sold around 35,000 handsets since launch. To put those numbers in perspective, Apple sold more than nine million iPhones during its most recent launch weekend while Samsung reportedly moved “millions” of its Galaxy S5 earlier this year.

As we’ve seen before, it’s rarely a good sign when we see such a big price drop so soon after launch. One recent example is the “Facebook phone,” otherwise known as the HTC First. AT&T dropped the price to $0.99 with a contract shortly after launch but it was already too late

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It just needs the right case...
Flip-Flop-Case-For-Your-iPhone.jpg
 
I would not even take it if it were free. You have to tie a credit card to it to activate it, same with the Nook.
At least with a straight Android, you do not have to keep a credit card tied to it all the time. You can key in the information when you want to buy something one time, or remove it at a later date.
 
I would not even take it if it were free. You have to tie a credit card to it to activate it, same with the Nook.
At least with a straight Android, you do not have to keep a credit card tied to it all the time. You can key in the information when you want to buy something one time, or remove it at a later date.
Sounds like normal Amazon policy. When I order from them, I always delete my personal info and my CC number. With no way to use a CC without Amazon saving the number on their site, I've complained and said that I do not want them to automatically save my CC. All I get back from Amazon customer service is "we keep your data safe." Uh huh.

Given that you can delete your CC from their systems, I wonder if once activated one could remove the CC and still have the phone work. Personally, I have no interest in the device, but I do think that Amazon needs to stop trying to get people addicted to Amazon.
 
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