Amazon’s Fire phone can’t get any cheaper than free, so AT&T is doing the next best thing and bundling it with a cheap Amazon tablet.
Starting tomorrow, AT&T customers can get an Amazon Fire HDX tablet for $49—a $130 discount—with the purchase of a Fire phone, which costs just $0.99 on a two-year contract. The deal will last until November 20, according to The Digital Reader .
Amazon’s Fire phone launched in July for $200 on-contract, but had its price slashed to a dollar last month in response to weak sales. Without a contract, the phone costs $449.
Reviews of the Fire phone have been lukewarm at best, with critics pointing out its small app store, limited features, dull design and lack of utility for headlining features such as Dynamic Perspective and Firefly. The phone does have a solid camera, and the free year of Amazon Prime provides lots of music, movies and books to play with, but it’s still a tough sell for anyone who isn’t already deeply invested in Amazon’s ecosystem.
Why this matters: The new bundle is just another sign that the Fire phone was a major flop, even after last month’s price cut. Throwing in a cheap tablet may help clear some inventory, but keep in mind that the HDX is now a year old and on the small side with its 7-inch display. Amazon will clearly need to rethink its approach to smartphones if it’s going to try again.