• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, July 11, 2012

Giving Apple and Google cause for concern, new reports suggest that Amazon.com is indeed working on a smartphone of its own.
 
“Officials at some of Amazon's parts suppliers … said the Seattle-based company is testing a smartphone and mass production of the new device may start late this year or early next year,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
 
The ecommerce giant has already had hard successes with its Kindle ereader, and, to a less degree, its Kindle Fire tablet. Critical to Amazon’s broader business strategy, “It's expected the [would-be] smartphone will come equipped with access to Amazon's retail store and other lending libraries of video and music content,” ZDNet writes.
 
Last week, Bloomberg first reported that Amazon was developing a smartphone.
 
The latest report from WSJ “also supports other consistent rumors of an Amazon smartphone, such as suggestions made by Citigroup analysts last November that the retailer was working with Foxconn to develop a smartphone  slated for release in late 2012,” Forbes notes.
 
“Whether, of course, the rumors are accurate remains to be seen,” Gizmodo reasons. “It's incredibly difficult to know either way, especially given the complete lack of detail when it comes to software -- which is where Amazon's device will have to deliver in order to both excite consumers and fit in with the existing Fire.”
 
“Of course, if the rumors are correct then we'll probably see a new Kindle Fire hit the streets first anyway,” suggests Engadget. “If it has any updated software to bring along then maybe we'll have a better idea of what an Amazon phone could look like.”