Crazy Consumer Electronics World: Amazon phone release pegged for September, glasses-free 3D display in tow

Amazon will unveil its smartphone in June and follow it with a launch in September, the latest word on the web reveals.

"People briefed on the company's plans" have chittered to the Wall Street Journal (paywall) that the Amazon smartphone is headed toward release later this year.

Amazon has reportedly been showing a version of the phone to developers in San Francisco and Seattle and is plotting a late June debut for the handset. The phone reportedly won't start shipping until the end of September, which is traditionally Apple's time to bring new iPhones to market.

While Amazon's handset will face fierce competition from Apple and Samsung, it may have one ace up its sleeve. According to the Journal's sources, the Amazon phone's display will be able to produce 3D images without the need for special glasses. Using retina-tracking tech stuffed in four front-facing cameras, the Amazon phone can project 3D images with a hologram-like effect, sources said.

Amazon on fire

Amazon has launched a full-fledged assault on hardware, just last week breaking into the set-top TV biz with Amazon Fire TV.

Its no stranger to the tablet side of things, and a smartphone seems the logical next step to bring everyone under the growing Amazon empire.

Sources warned Jeff Bezos' and Co.'s plans may change, so we'll believe the Amazon smartphone when we see it, but the increasing amount of smoke has us searching for a fire.