Amazon may finally be able to put its nightmarish entry into the cutthroat smartphone market behind it. That's because the Seattle-based company just recently depleted its remaining inventory of Fire Phones.
An Amazon spokesperson told Market Watch that it wouldn't replenish its stock (no surprise there, eh?) but that it would continue to support customers already using the device.
Amazon's smartphone generated loads of anticipation leading up to its unveiling but ultimately, it didn't live up to the hype. The Fire Phone's flagship feature, a 3D effect that offered dynamic perspective, proved to be more of a gimmick than anything else. Its mid-range hardware didn't help matters, nor did its small-ish 4.7-inch display at a time when large-screen handsets were becoming the norm.
Others were bothered by the phone's heavy focus on shopping, with some going as far as to describe it as an overpriced shopping basket.
The company wrote off $170 million as a result of the phone's poor reception. Determined to move the rest of its $83 million in inventory, Amazon resorted to drastic price cuts - from $649 down to just $199 - on top of the fact that it already came with a free year of Prime.
As recently as last year, Amazon said it was working on a follow-up. It's unclear if Amazon is still actively developing what would be the second generation Fire Phone (or perhaps an entirely new smartphone with a fresh lineage).