Amazon Building New 3-D Smartphone, Sources Say

Amazon.com Inc. is attempting to change the smartphone landscape. Sources say the online retailer is trying to create a phone that displays 3-D images without the need for glasses, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The sources, who are familiar with the retailer’s plans, say the new device will use retina tracking technology to make images seem like their hovering above the screen. The phones users could possibly be able to control some of the displayed content by simply using their eyes.

Since last year the company’s plans to develop a new smartphone and a new set-top box were made public. However, sources say this is just the beginning. Amazon is planning to unleash a number of new gadgets on the market. Amazon’s new projects—two new smartphones, the set-top box for streaming TV shows and movies, and the 3-D smartphone—have been code-named Project A, B, C, D. Collectively they are known as the Alphabet Projects, sources said.

Amazon is attempting to redefine itself as more than just an online retailer or maker of the Kindle and get into the content distribution industry.

The people familiar with the plans cautioned that the new devices—some of which may launch in the coming months—could be shelved because of performance or financial reasons.

A spokesperson from Amazon declined comment.

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