Amazon loses $437M in Q3, $170M  due to Fire Phone failure

24 October, 2014
Amazon had a tough third quarter, posting bigger than expected losses. US website gets a redesign.

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  • AnonD-209094
  • Kg%
  • 27 Oct 2014

Anonymous, 25 Oct 2014This is a hardly a surprise. Huge bezels, heavy, bad batt... moreIm sure someone must have said it was a bad idea, but then comes this guy higher up and he has shown a concept to a friend, smelly old businessman in a cheap suit i presume, and "this guy really loved it and said he will surely get one, i think we have a success on our hands here, this is going to be the next big thing since iPhone! And my wifes brother agree.". I been to many product development meetings and its often something that someone said, irrelevant feedback from irrelevant people but when the bosses say it you just suck it in and shut up, its gonna happen no matter what.

One has to wonder how much discount this thing need to sell, it was discounted $198 after a few days and it didnt help one bit. Since its already $1 on contract theres nothing more to gain that way, selling it unlocked is rarely an option in USA since they are mostly contract slaves and have learned to like it. Maybe they can bundle Fire phone and tablets for a reasonable price, like $50 more than only a tablet, just to get rid of the abominations.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • gxM
    • 25 Oct 2014

    This is a hardly a surprise. Huge bezels, heavy, bad battery, bad OS. One has to be drunk or be threatened by a gun to buy such a phone. It ticks almost all the check boxes of bad design. I mean it's not as if worse phones have not sold better but at least it was from well established brands. Amazon is not even that in phones.

    And why the hell would they pay do much for rnd and more generally designing/manufacturing if the result was/is so bad, was it not someone who stopped them as some point and said "wait a minute, this is a reaaaally bad idea".

      • T
      • Tece lover
      • M3Y
      • 25 Oct 2014

      Anonymous, 25 Oct 2014It is time for a Fire Sale?You are a hero

        • R
        • Red Fox
        • iIR
        • 25 Oct 2014

        AnonD-83364, 24 Oct 2014Start selling it to other countries instead of only selling... moreIt is sold elsewhere, I work for o2 (provider in the UK) and we have it as an exclusive, even after the phone completely flopped in America, it's done th same for us as far as I can tell, I work on outbound sales and so far my team of 15 has sold about 3 since it was released in the UK, I forget exactly when that was though.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 0BX
          • 25 Oct 2014

          amazon sales are down in usa canda western europe which are amazon main online markets .. concept of amazon online has not taken off in worlds biggest markets china and india .. amazon should sell amazon firephone in western europe at a competitive price ..most of western world find amazon online useful and cost effective .. but india -local flipkart.com are doing riproaring business because of COD- CASH ON DELIVERY SYSTEMS ..we like amazon.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • Tec
            • 25 Oct 2014

            It is time for a Fire Sale?

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              • AnonD-83364
              • xLb
              • 24 Oct 2014

              Start selling it to other countries instead of only selling it in the US. Also only with AT&T, what were you expecting Amazon.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • k9q
                • 24 Oct 2014

                Thank god. I've always preferred Barnes and Noble's Nook.

                  And you have to be an CEO with 5.000.000 a year to produce this failure?

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • k2G
                    • 24 Oct 2014

                    AnonD-52738, 24 Oct 2014No surprise at all.I second this. Amazon is phony, they are extremely misleading. Will post a price and cancel your order when you buy it and say it was a mistake than raise the price up. Vendors that work with Amazon are just as bad or worst charging people 20% restocking fees. Silly

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                      • AnonD-52738
                      • vV5
                      • 24 Oct 2014

                      No surprise at all.

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                        • AnonD-58835
                        • L8w
                        • 24 Oct 2014

                        Fire phone was HORRIBLE, obviously it will failed in the market. market has the final decision

                          • D
                          • AnonD-240759
                          • EKj
                          • 24 Oct 2014

                          I didn't understand y they had it as a #1 selling phone on amazon.

                            • x
                            • x
                            • vx6
                            • 24 Oct 2014

                            3rd degree Burn..xD

                              • a
                              • ash
                              • 3xq
                              • 24 Oct 2014

                              they didn't even help themselves by offering the fire phone as an exclusive in the UK as well.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • N$s
                                • 24 Oct 2014

                                Anonymous, 24 Oct 2014Ebay will probably put amazon out of business to be honest hahamore like alibaba will put amazon out of business

                                  • b
                                  • bweber85
                                  • feH
                                  • 24 Oct 2014

                                  Haha I knew that phone was going to be a failure. No one launches a device to one carrier anymore. I just doesn't work. The phone was also incredibly overpriced. Why buy a Fire phone that has a forked AOS instead of buying an actual Android phone or iPhone. What were they thinking?

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • MVg
                                    • 24 Oct 2014

                                    Ebay will probably put amazon out of business to be honest haha

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-319406
                                      • J78
                                      • 24 Oct 2014

                                      No surprise

                                        • A
                                        • Angry Mobile Nerd
                                        • bEx
                                        • 24 Oct 2014

                                        When they launched this phone I said it was going to be the biggest fail of 2014.

                                        Nailed it.