Amazon Fire Phone, 32GB (Unlocked GSM)

 

Amazon Fire Phone, 32GB (Unlocked GSM)

This unlocked Fire Phone (which is the same as the AT&T version with horrible reviews, only it's unlocked), is an all around excellent phone with some pretty cool technology not found on other phones. The big thing to remember here is who the manufacturer is: Amazon. That said, it's important to realize that the phone is going to be centered around the Amazon ecosystem. Many of the 1-star reviews on the AT&T version were written by people who didn't read the description or reviews before dropping a lot of money and committing themselves to a 2-year contract.

This all started with the Kindle, and has since evolved into the Kindle Fire Tablets, and now, the Fire Phone. As is the case with Microsoft and Apple, Amazon is in direct competition with Google and Apple in terms of their "App Stores" and their music sales, hence the reason you're not going to find Google Apps or iTunes on this phone.
 
In all honesty, I kind of miss my Android phone but like most things, you learn to adapt over time and while I'm mostly likely going back to my Galaxy Note 3, this Fire Phone is fun to play around with at the moment. Like switching from an iPad to a Kindle Fire Tablet, this is an all-in type thing... you have to commit to the Amazon ecosystem or you're not going to be satisfied. If you're already using a Kindle Fire, Fire TV, and so forth, the switch will be easy as you're just adding another device and essentially improving upon the use of your other Amazon devices in the process.

A simple flick of the finger on the Fire Phone sends the video you're watching to your Fire TV... your Kindle books from your Kindle Fire tablet are available on your phone, shopping on Amazon is even easier, as is downloading music, videos, and television shows. If you're heavily invested into the Android ecosystem and rely on Google services for your day to day activities, you're going to get frustrated with this phone... seriously... you have to be committed to this ecosystem or be a casual phone user where the ecosystem doesn't matter as long as you can make calls, text message, check your email, and browse the web.

What seals the deal right now is the price. At the time of this review, the phone is now available unlocked for $199 which includes a free year of Prime membership (which is normally $99 itself.) Essentially you're paying $100 for a smartphone with no contract, so even if you use this as a backup phone, it's worth it. It's kind of sad that Amazon has had to drop the price to this level just to sell the phone, but they probably expected this as they're essentially trying to pull customers away from the "Big 3" (Apple, Google, and Windows) and make them feel welcome in the new ecosystem.

Based on the specs of the phone, the quality of the display and internal components, the app availability, the 3D features, and the price, this phone really does earn a 5-star rating for what is IS. I would never buy this phone at $600 out of contract or even $199 in contract, but at $199 unlocked, without a contract, and a free year of Prime, you really can't pass this deal up.