Amazon's Whale Strategy. A week before yesterday’s launch of the Fire Phone, Amazon sent all of the attendees a copy of the children’s book “Mr. Pines Purple House” with a note from Jeff Bezos stating: I think you’ll agree that the world is a better place when things are a little bit different. Beyond the book, the first thing different about the event was that it was open to the general public. Over 60,000 people ended up applying to attend, and Amazon opened the event with a video featuring several of those applicants. The message was clear: this event was about, and for, Amazon’s most loyal customers. And so is the Fire Phone. It’s not the Phone that’s Different; It’s the Strategy At first glance, there is very little about the phone that feels different, at least in the ways that matter.
Instead the Fire Phone is right up there with an iPhone 5S when it comes to price,1 and it’s sold with the exact same contract you would get with that iPhone.2 There is no margin compression, no subsidized data. Will It Work?