A Reuters report from March 20, 2026 confirmed that Amazon is actively developing a new smartphone codenamed “Transformer” built around Alexa. Here is the complete honest picture.
Introduction
More than a decade after the Fire Phone flopped spectacularly, Amazon is building another smartphone.
Amazon is reportedly planning to re-enter the smartphone market more than 10 years after its last attempt. The mysterious phone is internally codenamed “Transformer” and is being developed by the company’s devices and services unit.
This is not a rumor from a random leaker. The report comes from Reuters, which cites four anonymous sources familiar with the company’s plans, saying the brand is actively working on a new phone.
Amazon declined to comment on the report.
What the Reuters Report Actually Confirms
Reuters reports that Amazon is planning out an Alexa-focused smartphone, building the product under the codename “Transformer.” The project is described as “a potential mobile personalization device that can sync with home voice assistant Alexa and serve as a conduit to Amazon customers throughout the day,” with deeper integration with Amazon services and partners such as Prime Video, Prime Music, Grubhub, and Amazon.com.
Alexa would apparently be “a core feature” of the new Amazon phone, but “not necessarily the primary operating system.”
Who Is Building It?
The phone is being developed inside a relatively new unit within Amazon’s Devices and Services division called ZeroOne, led by former Microsoft executive J Allard. Allard is best known for helping create the Xbox and has deep experience at the intersection of hardware, software, and developer ecosystems.
Since Panos Panay took over Amazon’s devices and services division back in September 2023, the company has been trying to change the “cheap” perception that most consumers associate with Amazon products.
Two Device Types Being Explored
Amazon is exploring two types of devices: a traditional smartphone and a “dumbphone” that could be marketed as a secondary device for consumers already owning an iPhone or premium Android phone.
The report says Amazon’s team has explored multiple designs for both smartphones and dumb phones like the Light Phone series, which tend to ship with limited functionality, a black-and-white display, and no app store.
The Alexa Plus Connection
Amazon spent more than a year revamping its Alexa assistant with generative AI features, finally launching it in February 2025 as Alexa+.
The device will lean towards AI capabilities rather than encouraging users to download traditional apps. It would connect to Alexa Plus, the LLM-powered voice assistant, allowing people to interact with it throughout the day from wherever they are.
The Big Risk: Will History Repeat Itself?
Notably, the lack of a proper app store was a primary failing of the original Fire Phone, as it relied on the Amazon Appstore which simply did not have a lot of the apps people would want from the Google Play Store.
“Amazon is unlikely to build a better smartphone than Apple, Samsung, or leading Chinese OEMs,” IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo told Tom’s Guide. He noted that the smartphone market is expected to contract in 2026, making it the worst possible time to launch a new device.
What We Still Do Not Know
There is a lot Amazon has not decided yet.
There is a lot that Amazon has yet to decide on, including an operating system for its phone. The original Fire Phone came with Amazon’s own software, FireOS. There is also no expected price point to better gauge where this phone would fall in the current smartphone market.
Forecasting an unprecedented decline in the smartphone market in 2026 now seems like a risky time for Amazon to try again. Sources also would not rule out the project being scrapped altogether if the company’s priorities suddenly shifted.
The Honest Wrap-Up
The Amazon Transformer phone is real, confirmed by Reuters, and built inside the new ZeroOne unit under J Allard.
But no specs, no price, no release date, and no OS decision have been confirmed yet.
If Alexa can reliably interpret intent and act across services, the device has a narrative beyond specs. But crucial questions remain, including whether the phone will run a forked version of Android and critically whether it will ship with Google’s app ecosystem.
We will update this article the moment Amazon makes any official announcement. Check back here for the confirmed picture when it lands.
Written by Ameer Hamza
Tech Analyst and Founder of Global Tech Press, Currently expanding the GTP hardware testing labs and building the next generation of digital tech media.
