After Fire flop, Amazon returns with special edition phones

In exchange users will see personalised ads on their lock screens offering special offers through Amazon. To help offset the cost of the discounts, the devices will come with software that displays tailored advertisements on the phone’s lock screen and notifications bar. “Now we’re lowering prices in a similar way on new, unlocked smartphones, working with two of our best-selling brands, BLU and Motorola”, Amazon’s vice president of consumer electronics Laura Orvidas said. Amazon will be adding one of those processes to your phone, and it can not be turned off. And then there is the question of the ad’s impact on power consumption, something no one actually thinks is good on a smartphone to begin with. The phones are available for pre-order unlocked with no contract commitments.

Amazon Prime members can now take advantage of exclusive pricing-up to 50% off the full retail price-on a selection of newly released, fully featured, unlocked Android smartphones.

Normally the Moto G4 sells for $200 and up, but the Prime Exclusive model is priced at 0 and up… and for a limited time Amazon is offering an extra $25 off which brings the price-in-cart to $125. Perhaps it was meant for version two of the phone, which never saw the light of day – and Amazon just found a way to turn any Android phone into a Fire phone.

Amazon wants to lure you in to their trove of Android devices – and at first it would seem that they’ve got the right bait. It’s worked out well in the Kindle world because, well, it’s all out of sight and out of mind after you unlock your Kindle for reading.

Today, Amazon announces that it is expanding the program beyond its own hardware.

The Blu R1 HD offers a 5-inch, curved Gorilla Glass display, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, LTE, and an 8MP camera. Compatible with all major CDMA and GSM carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. That includes Amazon customizations, but you can pay $50 to get the regular price without any of that.