Amazon launches Fire phone with 3D and easy-to-shop Firefly button

AMAZON launches Fire smartphone with killer features including 3D images and a button to shop for anything. Here’s everything you need to know.

AMAZON stepped into the smartphone market this morning with the Fire phone that offers some killer features. The only problem is that you might die of old age waiting for the phone to come to Australia.

While most Australians who happened to be awake were watching the Socceroos in the World Cup, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled Amazon’s Fire smartphone in an event in Seattle.

The Fire has a 4.7-inch screen and will run on Amazon’s version of Android called Fire OS. It has Gorilla Glass on the front and back of the phone (so you’ve got twice the chance of shattering a screen if you drop it) and has a 2.2GHz quad processor.

As was rumoured, the Fire has the ability to show 3D images. Don’t expect the images to jump out of the screen like a sci-fi hologram phone — Amazon’s 3D phone works by adding depth to its images down into the screen.

Amazon Fire Phone launched in the US - features include the ability to display 3D images and a Firefly button that lets you scan any product and see if you can buy it on Amazon.com

Happy snappers (and aren’t we all?) will be pleased to know that the Fire Phone offers unlimited photo storage on an Amazon cloud and Mr Bezos claimed the 13-megapixel camera in the Fire would outperform the camera in Apple’s iPhone 5S or the Samsung S5.

One of the standout features shows how Amazon wants the Fire to fit into its wider range of products. The Fire has a physical button on the side called Firefly which lets you scan any product, or listen to TV shows or music, and see how much you buy that object for on Amazon.com.

The Firefly button is not just a sales link. You can point your Fire at your lunch, tap the Firefly button and the phone will use the data in MyFitnessPal to tell you how many calories you’re about to consume.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos talks about the new Fire Phone's Firefly feature, which lets the user take photos of objects, numbers, artwork or books and have the phone recognise the item. Picture: AP

Other features on the phone include Whispersync, that lets you swap from the ebook to the audiobook version of a story and have it know what page you’re up, and earphones which Amazon claims won’t tangle in your pocket.

Sounds so great that you’re rushing out to buy a Fire today? Well, you’re not if you live in Australia. Amazon announced the phone would only be available in the US on the AT&T network and no word on when, or if, it will come to Australia.

Thanks Mr Bezos but from where I’m sitting you’re just a big tease.