From ComputerWorld: Amazon appears to be putting its Fire phone to bed for good. The product page for the smartphone on Amazon's website shows both the 32GB and 64GB models out of stock, with no estimate about when they'll be available again.
According to Amazon spokeswoman Michelle Taylerson, the company has "sold through our Fire phone inventory in the U.S. and globally." Amazon ran out at the end of August, but the news was first reported Tuesday by GeekWire -- a testament to how unpopular the Fire has been.
While Amazon didn't say that the Fire will be permanently absent from its website, the company reportedly restructured its Lab126 hardware development division and laid off dozens of engineers who had been working on the Fire. It's not clear when, if ever, the company plans to release a new smartphone.
It's an ignoble end for a smartphone that fizzled shortly after Amazon announced it a year ago. While the company built a great deal of anticipation for its first foray into the smartphone market, Amazon wasn't able to convince users to buy the device. In October of last year, the company took a $170 million write-down on the Fire, based primarily on unsold inventory.
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