Will Amazon make a smartphone of its own? Video

Will Amazon make a smartphone of its own? Video Transcript

EMILY: Hey, I?m Emily Dreyfuss. KARYNE: and I'm Karyne Levy. EMILY: Welcome to Rumor Has It! The show where we round up the week's hottest tech rumors. KARYNE: And vote on what sounds legit, and what seems like total bunk. EMILY: The best part is that you guys can vote, too, so don?t go anywhere. KARYNE: Our first rumor is from Bloomberg, citing nameless sources who say that Amazon is working with Foxconn to create a smartphone that'll challenge Android- based phones and the iPhone. (Duh, what else would it challenge... the BlackBerry?) EMILY: Amazon has won the desktop shopping wars, but the whole world is going mobile, and they want to capitalize on it. For it to work, it would need one-button shopping, and a HUGE screen so people can see what they?re buying. KARYNE: And Amazon would sell the phone directly, which they already have a good track record of. They proved with the Kindles. EMILY: Which didn?t work very well for Google and the Android phones. So I say yea. I think the person who has enough hubris to think Amazon can sell high-end fashion alongside its penny books and cheese gift baskets has a lot of nerve. And that?s Jeff Bezos, so I I say he?ll make a smartphone. KARYNE: Here's why I say nay. Amazon is smart, and getting into the cell phone business this late in the game doesn't seem like a very smart idea. It's a brutal landscape with so much competition. How would an Amazon phone be any different? It wouldn't. Stick with what you know Amazon: Kindles and cheese gift baskets. KARYNE: If you?re watching on CNET, cast your vote now using the thumbs up, thumbs down right next to Emily?s head in the CNET Interactive player. EMILY: See 'em? Right there! You have the next 30 seconds to vote. In the meantime, let?s go ask the streets of San Francisco. EMILY: Our second rumor is just ridiculous. The phablet known as the Samsung Galaxy Note is being redone, according to MK Business News who cites anonymous sources. The next-gen Note would get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which makes sense, but here?s the part that kills me: it?s rumored to be getting a bigger screen. KARYNE: Up from 5.3 inches to 5.5. EMILY: That doesn?t sound like much, but the thing is already the size of baseball glove. Karyne, when this phone came out a few months ago, do you remember people saying they wished it were bigger? Karyne: Hmmm...that?s not quite how I remember it. I don?t think people want it to be this big. Emily: Yeah, people don?t need to be putting it in a wheel barrow. KARYNE: Our third and final rumor is that the next PlayStation 3 will be super super duper slim. Plans for this device showed up on the FCC's Web site, and UK-based gaming site Eurogamer thinks that it's the new PS3 based on the model number, CECH-4001x. (The current PS3's model number is CECH-3000.) Good sleuthing! EMILY: I wish I could swear on CNET. I?m so bleeping excited! But honestly, size is not the most important change that could happen to the new PlayStation. We want innovation, a sea-change in how gaming works and looks. So this is just about the most boring new PlayStation rumor you could imagine, but whatever, bleep me! KARYNE: Sony already released a PS3 Slim in 2009, so now this could be an even slimmer slim. A cheaper slimmer slim. Maybe it'll fit in your pocket! Maybe I'll buy one! Bleep! EMILY: OK, so let?s get back to our first rumor. KARYNE: So we asked them: Does Amazon have a smartphone in the works? EMILY: And the CNET verdict is NAY. Wow, our anonymous council of CNET experts voted 4 to 1 against my prediction. KARYNE: Finally! EMILY: How did you guys do? Better than me? Our comment of the week last week goes to HeyItsTony, who wrote: "Apple doesn't have any law suits in the 7 inch tablet department. So yeah. I think they'll launch their 7 inch tablet. After they do, they can sue the hell out of everyone because they invented it." KARYNE: That?s our show everyone, share your rumors at rumorhasit@cnet.com or call us at 1-800-750-CNET. EMILY: Tune in next week for more tech rumors.