US online giant Amazon said Monday it was selling its "Fire" 3D smartphones in Germany and Britain as it cut the price of the handset for US customers. Amazon released statements for its British and German websites for the handset, which was unveiled in June for US customers. The price was cut from $199 to less than $1 for US customers opting for a two-year contract with AT&T. Similar options will be available in Germany for one euro through Deutsche Telekom and in Britain for no upfront cost in partnership with the carrier O2.
Amazon also trimmed the cost of the smartphones without a contract to $449, from $649 at the launch. No sales figures for the phone have been disclosed, but Amazon is facing a fiercely competitive environment and a pending launch of a new line of iPhones from Apple. In June, company founder Jeff Bezos unveiled the device, Amazon's first smartphones of its own, which has a 4.7-inch display, a high-definition camera and Amazon's free help service. The phone also ties in to Amazon's vast array of other offerings, serving as a platform for digital content such as books, films and music and connecting users to the firm's cloud storage.