Amazon Reportedly Planning Alexa-Focused Phone for Shopping and AI

When Amazon introduced its first mobile phone, the Fire Phone, in 2014, it was so poorly received that the company stopped selling the device only a year later. According to Reuters, that's not stopping the retail giant from trying again.

Amazon is reportedly developing a new mobile device that would sync with its existing ecosystem of software and hardware, including Alexa-based smart hubs and its Prime Video TV service.

The project is being referred to internally as "Transformer" and could still be in the early stages, according to Reuters. At this stage, there's no word on a possible timeframe for release, or much information on what would differentiate the phone from the devices it would compete with from companies including Apple and Samsung. 

The phone would be focused on AI features instead of app downloads, according ...