Amazon Smartphone: No Live Stream Of 3D Smartphone Event As Release Date Arrives

Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is expected to release a smartphone Wednesday at an event in New York City, however the retailer has decided not to broadcast a live video stream of the unveiling.

For more than a year, Amazon has reportedly readied a phone with glasses-free 3D technology, although the device is just ready for release in 2014. Rumored to offer a software user interface, or UI, that plays on the smartphone’s unique technology, Amazon’s smartphone reportedly includes several cameras to produce a holographic effect.

The Internet retailer has been offering hardware sales with its Kindle line of e-readers since 2007, later expanding the brand with its Kindle Fire tablets four years later. This April, Amazon waded into streaming set-top boxes with its $99 Fire TV.

The Fire TV was unveiled during a similar event in NYC, which Amazon chose not to stream live. If the release of the company’s set-top box is any indication, Amazon will likely make its 3D smartphone available for sale on its website immediately following today’s event, which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Reports say the Amazon smartphone will be released exclusively to AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) customers in the U.S. The phone is expected to also include a “Prime Data” feature that takes advantage of the carrier’s Sponsored Data program, which allows partners to offer AT&T subscribers free data when using specific apps, such as Amazon’s Prime Instant Video and recently announced Amazon Music service.