A Return to Amazon’s Smartphone Effort With a New Device Codenamed “Transformer”

Amazon is developing a new smartphone codenamed “Transformer,” more than 11 years after the company discontinued its first smartphone, the Fire Phone. The project is reportedly being built inside Amazon’s Devices and Services division.

Personalized Amazon App Experiences Built Into the Phone

The smartphone is expected to include personalized features designed to make it easier to use Amazon’s own app ecosystem, including:

  • Amazon Shopping
  • Prime Video
  • Prime Music

The focus, as described, is on tailoring the experience in ways that simplify and strengthen day-to-day use of Amazon’s suite of apps.

Alexa Support at the Center, With AI Features as a Major Focus

Alexa support is positioned as a core part of the smartphone. Amazon has been investing heavily in Alexa, including adding AI capabilities and expanding support across much of its device lineup.

AI features are described as a major emphasis for the smartphone. Internally, the device is reportedly viewed as a way to encourage Amazon customers to use Amazon’s AI products—making the phone not just a piece of hardware, but a channel for deeper adoption of Amazon’s AI offerings.

The ZeroOne Unit and J Allard’s Role in Development

The smartphone is said to be developed by a relatively new unit within Amazon’s Devices division called ZeroOne. That unit is led by J Allard, described as a former Microsoft executive who helped create the Xbox.

Amazon’s Broader Push Into AI Alongside Devices

The smartphone effort lands in the middle of a broader AI push at Amazon. The company is described as going “all-in” on AI, including:

  • investing $50 billion into OpenAI recently
  • projecting $200 billion in capital expenditures toward AI, chips, and robotics efforts in 2026

Within that backdrop, putting Alexa—and AI functionality—at the center of a smartphone fits into a wider company strategy that pairs consumer products with AI investment.

Alexa+ and What the Revamped Assistant Can Do

Amazon spent more than a year rebuilding Alexa with generative AI features and launched the updated assistant in February as Alexa+. Alexa+ keeps its smart home capabilities and is also described as being able to handle many tasks associated with other AI chatbots, including:

  • planning a trip itinerary
  • updating a shared calendar
  • finding and saving recipes to a library
  • making movie recommendations
  • helping with homework
  • exploring a topic

This expanded set of capabilities helps frame why Alexa—and AI features—are described as central to the smartphone being developed.