Amazon Preparing A Smartphone? Windows Phone Executives Joins The Team

Analysts have been hemming and hawing about a possible Amazon smartphone ever since the company released the Amazon Kindle Fire and now their predictions may be coming true. Amazon on Thursday announced the acquisition of long-time Microsoft employee Robert Williams.

Williams was Microsoft’s Senior Director of Windows Phone Business Development and has been with Microsoft since 1999.

Robert started his career with Microsoft as the director of business development for tablet, mobile, laptop, and ultramobile PCs. In the last four years he has led Microsoft into a new era of smartphone development through the Windows Phone OS, a system that has yet to reach mass appeal but which has been met with generally positive reviews.

The departure is the second for Microsoft who also lost Windows Phone executiv Brandon Watson, the former head of Windows Phone Developer Experience.

Amazon is expected to release its first smartphone before the end of 2012 and with more top-notch executives joining the team before that launch Amazon could be attempting to ensure its first Android-based smartphone launches without any hiccups.

Another hint at a possible Amazon smartphone includes the company’s recent purchase of 3D mapmaker UpNext.

With smartphone executives being brought into the mix and Amazon pleased with the sales levels for its Amazon Kindle Fire tablet the move to own more of the Google Android market makes sense, especially as the online retailer continues to hire more mobile phone executives.

Would you be willing to purchase an Amazon based smartphone with Google Android based capabilities?