Test Management Featured Article

Amazon caught our attention when it entered the tablet market with its own version. While geared more for the avid reader, the Kindle Fire was worth consideration if content consumption was your primary goal. Now, the company wants in on the smartphone market and has announced the release of its first Fire Phone (News - Alert) for $199.

According to a recent Zephyr blog, the handset will soon play a part in test management as it comes equipped with modest specifications, a 13-megapixel camera and a head-tracking feature. A year of Amazon Prime is also free with the smartphone, as well as unlimited photo storage thanks to the Amazon Cloud Drive.

So why the focus on test management? Mainly because this device has little in terms of hardware and users will be relying on applications for performance. The Firefly utility, for instance, will use the camera to scan and buy real-world items and the Dynamic Perspective rendering engine will redraw images in 3D to capture added depth and interactivity.

In fact, this focus on 3D is a big driver toward adoption of this particular smartphone, making test management critical in this case. While 3D through the iPhone (News - Alert) is not necessarily a new endeavor, Amazon is dedicating much more software to the shifts involved in the 3D process so as to create a workable user experience. To drive its success, test management played a key role to ensure the promised app worked in real-world situations.

The consumer fascination with 3D is nothing new, although developers have jumped on this latest opportunity to provide it in all new ways. Not every consumer electronic innovation in 3D has been a success, however, and the consumer base may not get as excited as a provider may hope. Amazon does have an opportunity here to create the success others could not, or simply follow the mistakes of others and fall short.

This is where test management will be key. It’s critical that two elements are made a priority: clear communication on the details when it comes to the IR cameras photographing the user; and thorough testing and refining of the Dynamic Perspective software to ensure it works smoothly. If this second piece especially is missed, the whole experience could fall instantly short of expectations. 

In all, Amazon does well to understand its consumer and bring solutions to market that meet specific needs. Will this latest innovation follow suit? Given our waning fascination with the concept of the smartphone – although not our reliance – our expectations are changing. It may just be the right time for Amazon to enter this space.