Amazon Talks With HTC on Prime Handset Plans

Amazon, the world’s biggest e-commerce company, and HTC Corp. have been in talks since at least June to develop handsets for sale to users of the Amazon Prime service, according to two people familiar with the talks.

A final decision hasn’t been made on whether to proceed with a product or when it would be delivered, the people said, asking to not be identified because the talks are private. Amazon wants to increase the number of devices that can access its Amazon Instant Video service and seeks to sell phones through subscriptions with carriers, one of the people said.

Amazon Prime, introduced in 2005 as a fast-shipping service, has developed into a platform for streaming and downloading media, including movies and television shows. Amazon started working with Foxconn Technology Group last year on a smartphone that would enable customers to view its content, Bloomberg News reported in July 2012. Read more...