Amazon Fire Phone Operating System is Fire OS 3.5

The new Amazon Fire Phone has everyone talking with the unveiling of the company’s revolutionary new Firefly component, 3D rendering and tilt gesture control among a few of the features the smartphone sports. The Amazon Fire Phone operating system, Fire OS 3.5 is also a talking point, as it is similar to that which the line of Kindle Fire tablets currently use. The device’s OS is based on the Google Android OS, with Amazon touting it as the latest version of the Fire OS. The company has already introduced a software development kit (SDK) for interested developers, opening the door for a potential of more useful apps on the new OS in the future. So what exactly is the new Amazon Fire Phone operating system all about? Let’s explore.

What is the Fire Phone Operating System?

It may be partially Android, but it isn’t necessarily Android-compatible. The Fire OS 3.5 is specifically customized just for the new Amazon smartphone. It has the cloud components, media libraries that are built right into the OS and productivity apps included in the interface. Some of these include document creation apps, calendars and message apps.

The new OS will also allow individuals to perform work on the go such as reviewing various documents and presentations, or by staying connected with work. There’s title features that will allow a user to check out a calendar’s meeting details simply by tilting the phone. Tapping on meeting recipients can be used to send them a message.

The newly-designed operating system keeps multitasking at the forefront. A simple double tap of the phone’s home button will bring up all of the apps currently running. That makes it easier for a user to switch to another app they were using, or back and forth between them.

Similar to features found on other smartphones such as iPhone, Fire OS allows for easy organization of collections of apps or media items. Folders can be created for specific topics and apps can be added to them, making them easier to find and access from the home screen. For example, someone might be able to arrange apps, music, ebooks and other items into a folder based on a specific musical interest or celebrity.

Fire OS 3.5 Accessibility Features

There are also built-in accessibility features which were created for blind or visually-impaired users of the new smartphone. These include Screen Reader which gives voice audio feedback so that the user will hear what actions are taking place on screen. There’s also Explore by Touch which gives the user shortcut gestures making it easier to access context menus or other accessibility settings. A Screen Magnifier feature may be especially helpful for those who want to make the items on their screen larger. Simple actions such as a pinch of the screen surface will zoom in or out. Swiping two fingers will pan around the page on the screen.

Using Android Apps & Creating Apps

One of the complaints many users have experienced with the Kindle Fire HD or HDX tablets has been the inability to add apps from the Google Play store, which are based on Android. Savvy users have navigated around the issue by “sideloading” apps onto their devices using various apps to do so. It’s likely a similar idea may work once the new smartphone is in customer’s hands, although there’s always the potential for violating a warrant or outside apps causing various issues such as phone freezes.

The new Amazon Fire Phone arrives in its first version on July 25, 2014 with 32GB and 64GB available with exclusive AT&T service agreement, or without, for a higher price. The company has already opened the Dynamic Perspective and Firefly SDK for Developers to begin implementing or creating new apps for the smartphone, with more details here.