It has been years of rumors regarding an Amazon-branded smartphone, and just last Friday the Wall Street Journal reported that the company could finally announce the phone in June, for a third quarter 2014 release! Amazon has been working on a pair of smartphones, which have ultimately led to this new flagship device. No official name for the phone has been announced yet; but we do know it is said to run a version of Android, offer limited 3D effects, as well as head tracking. The internal codename for its upcoming limited edition has been dubbed “Project Smith”, while the high-end option with head tracking is called “Duke”. All so sneaky and mysterious, images leaked by BGR show a smartphone encased in a protective, screwed on case, which they say is “meant to hide the phone’s actual physical design”.

 
What is visible in this photo are the 5 front-facing cameras the phone is said to provide. Other than one 13MP rear-camera, and one front-facing camera for video chatting; the other four cameras are low-powered infrared, located at each corner of the device. Said to be the foremost feature of the device; these cameras are the secret behind Amazon’s custom “3D” interface. A glasses-free 3D experience is expected, as the cameras will perform head tracking in relation to the phones display. This will be used in many areas on the phone, from the lock screen, to various special wallpapers, application icons, as well as compatible apps. Sources say the companys own book store, music store, and the Amazon digital market could be visualized using the 3D interface.

 
Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and 2GB of RAM for power. It will run a customized version of Google’s Android OS, similar to what is used in Amazon’s tablets, such as the Kindle Fire. The phone’s display is rumored to be 4.7 inches across, distinctly smaller in size than most flagship devices released from companies such as Samsung, and HTC. It will contain a 720p HD resolution, a pixel count that surely falls short of the newer, standard 1080p found in many rival devices. However, because the 3D aspect is the biggest point of differentiation for Amazon’s upcoming flagship, it should be seen in many areas of the phone. It should also be what sets the phone apart from anything else on the market. That, in itself could be either a good or bad thing for a first-time phone launch. Amazon is even inviting third-party developers to assist in initiating new breeds of games and applications. However, sources say 3D will be “very limited out of the box”. A timetable for launch is unknown, but reports from both Amazon and The Wall Street Journal say the phone should be announced this June.