Amazon’s new mystery device will be “bigger than the Kindle”

By David Nield January 18, 2014

amazon sets april 2nd for unveiling apple tv competitor — Image used with permission by copyright holder

A recruitment event posting has revealed that Amazon is working on a secret device it hopes will be “bigger than the Kindle,” sparking a fresh round of speculation over what the retail giant has up its sleeve. Is it a smartphone? Is it a set-top box? Or is it something else entirely?

As spotted by ITProPortal, the Eventbrite invitation mentions “a new revolutionary V1 product that will allow us to deliver Digital Media to our customers in new ways and disrupt the current marketplace.” It looks like the company has been working on the device for some time, too: “We have teams in various locations partnering on this project, from Sunnyvale (Lab126), Seattle, to right here in Boston.”

Rumors of a Kindle-branded smartphone have been swirling for several years now, and the latest leaks back in October pointed to a 3D interface, so perhaps this is the gadget that Amazon is set to unveil. The smarter money seems to be on some form of set-top box though: codenamed Cinnamon, the smart media streamer would bring Amazon’s content and apps straight to your TV.

What’s certain is that Amazon is excited about the device: “We believe this new product will be even bigger than the Kindle!” runs the ad. Kindles and Kindle tablets were again amongst Amazon’s biggest sellers over the holiday period, but for now we’ll have to wait and see what Jeff Bezos is planning. Is there something in particular you’re hoping for? Let us know in the comments.

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Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

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